MEN INTERRUPTED HARVESTING POT BY POLICE

Three men harvesting marijuana plants in Glengarry Thursday morning were
interrupted when several police officers emerged from nearby bushes.

Members of the Pictou County District RCMP, RCMP North East Nova Drug
Section, New Glasgow Police Service and Trenton Police Service executed a
search warrant at a residential property, seizing about 257 mature
marijuana plants.

Some of the plants were well over two metres in height. Police also seized
recently harvested marijuana bud that was being processed for sale, as well
as garden hoses, a water pump, pruning scissors and indoor heaters being
used in the growing operation.

"It's an extremely large (seizure) for this area," said Const. Terry
Kellock, who worked his final official day with Pictou County District RCMP
Thursday before being transferred to the major crime unit in Truro.

Major crime investigator Cpl. Duane Rutledge of Pictou County District RCMP
said about two weeks of investigation preceded Thursday's take-down. He
estimated the street value of the seizure at about $1,000 per plant, or
about a quarter of a million dollars.

Rutledge said this time of year is harvesting time for marijuana operations.

Three men, from New Glasgow and Stellarton, were arrested at the scene. A
fourth man, who owns the property, was arrested at his workplace. They will
appear in New Glasgow provincial court on Nov. 15 on charges of marijuana
cultivation and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.