MINING FOR MARIJUANA

RCMP To Start Combing Abandoned Mine Sites Looking For Grow Ops

Mounties are mining for marijuana.

Last week, about 35 members of the RCMP participated in a 10-hour
exercise, training them to check out a series of abandoned mine sites
near Salmo to look for marijuana grow operations.

"We thought it would be a good opportunity for the emergency response
team to practice their skills in regards to going into mines," said
Salmo RCMP Cpl. Neil Cross. "This is not only for looking for grow
operations, it's also in case we're ever in a rescue situation."

Last Wednesday, police dogs and members of the emergency response team
from the East and West Kootenays, as well as Kelowna converged in
Salmo after the local detachment heard rumours and received various
tips that dope was being grown in old mines in the area.

While police never located any green goods growing in the mines last
week, they will be vigilant in searching the area's many abandoned
sites sporadically in the near future. Scoping out the shafts as they
did last week will definitely benefit police in the future, Cross said.

"There's no question it's valuable training for the members involved,"
he said

"A lot of them had never been in mines before. Going in and getting
that experience, as well at the same time looking for any illegal
activity such as marijuana grow operations, is very
beneficial."

Salmo is not necessarily a hotbed for pot production, Cross told the
Daily News.

"No more so than the rest of the area," he said. "I think there's a
fair amount over the entire area right to the Lower Mainland. So, it's
not just specific to the Salmo area. It's all over."

Police aren't beefing up their enforcement of the region's marijuana
industry as a result of this exercise. Typically, they have multiple
grow operation investigations over the course of each year.

Many growers get involved in the production of cannabis because of the
financial rewards that come with a good crop.

"Obviously there's going to be quite a bit of money involved with it
and it's very profitable. In some cases we see more people getting
involved with it.

"Unfortunately, it all sort of funnels towards organized crime and
funding organized crime," alleged the Mountie.

Cross asks that any member of the public who is aware of any
suspicious activity in or around their property or community to call
police or Crime Stoppers.