SOPHISTICATED SCAMS CAN LEAVE FARMERS HOLDING THE (MARIJUANA) BAG

The Ontario Provincial Police are seeing an increasing number of farmers
falling victim to a clever scheme that leaves them unwittingly growing
marijuana.

Police say farmers actively looking to sell land are most at risk under the
scheme. A person posing as a buyer will approach the farmer and make a cash
deposit on the property. In some cases the farmer will be asked to take
back the mortgage. The deposit may be in the neighborhood of $10,000, an
amount which most people would find difficult to turn down, says Detective
Sergeant John Corcoran, the force's Proceeds of Crime expert.

Corcoran says that since the farmer is "not aware of the situation," he can
end up in serious financial trouble "because of the anticipation of
mortgage money coming in."

He explains that what has actually happened, under the guise of a land sale
taking place, is that the supposed buyer is growing marijuana on a secluded
part of the proprety. If police find out about the "grow," and bust the
person, the deal comes to an immediate halt. The same is true, says
Corcoran, if the criminal senses police are onto him or his group; the land
is abandoned. Either way, he says, the farmer could be out a lot of money.

Corcoran cautions farmers to beware of deals that seem too good to be true.
He says people looking to grow illegal plants in a farmer's field will use
a number of different approaches. "Lately what I've been seeing is people
from the bigger communities like Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, coming up
to rural Ontario and starting up =8Cgrows'."

Corcoran says police are finding more illegal marijauna sites in Frontenac
County and across the province, not necessarily because there's more
activity, but because the "level of enforcement" has increased. He says
police are vigilant in their pursuit of criminals who are operating on the
backs of innocent people.

Admitting he's responsible for a lot of "firsts in Canada," Corcoran talks
about a case in Brockville in the last couple of years. It was, he says,
the first time "real property was forfeited as offence-related property."
He goes on to explain that Proceeds of Crime refers to "anything derived
directly or indirectly as a result of a designated drug or enterprised
crime offence." The specific offences can include trafficking, cultivation,
importing or exporting and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Corcoran says there are two different ways his unit and the 16 others
around the province seize goods. In one instance police have to prove that
an asset, such as a boat, was acquired from the proceeds of crime. Another
situation would see the seizing of property, similar to the Brockville
case, in which police find out property was used to commit an offence.

Corcoran talks about another case in Fenlon Falls where police were able to
prove houses were being used for illegal activities involving marijuana.
One log house was built specifically for use as a labratory; a second house
was modified for a similar use.

Since police can't always know what's happening on rural properties, they
rely on people who live in the area to be their eyes and ears. Corcoran
says someone may buy a farm, for example, but not use it for farming
purposes. Neighbors may also raise questions if they notice sudden
modifications being made to a property. He says if the OPP are alerted to a
"suspicious" situation, they begin surveillance in the area, watching for
any unusual traffic on the site and the possible transporting of
drug-related equipment onto the property.

Figures show an estimated $2.2-million was seized under the Proceeds of
Crime program in 1999. Corcoran says the money goes into a fund operated by
the Ontario Solicitor General and is ultimately used for all law
enforcement in the province. "If I do a case," he explains, "that money
doesn't directly come back to the OPP. Every police department in Ontario
can apply for a part of it

"Let's say the Kingston Police department wanted to buy a breathalizer,
they could make an applicaiton to the fund."

Corcoran says that in the history of the Proceeds of Crime program there
has never been a farmer charged with complicity. He says that while there
are cases of what he calls "willful blindness," he's never seen "a
legitimate farmer" involved.

The law, says Corcoran, has been "very effective" in stopping marijuana
growers and traffickers in their tracks. He says the penalty if caught can
be high as the criminals stand to lose assets and possibly property. "If I
do a proceeds of crime investigation, strip someone of their assets and
they want to start back up in the business, they know they have the
potential of losing even more."

In some cases, says Corcoran, a lengthy investigation may never lead to an
actual arrest. Police find a patch of marijuana being grown and they know
someone is managing the plot but a final connection can't be made. He says
the bottom line is, illegal plants are ultimately being destroyed. "It's
still a win-win situation because we're taking their profit and we're
keeping the drugs from the street."