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Police work to weed the forests – Metro US

Police work to weed the forests

It’s prime pot harvesting season and police are out hunting.

RCMP and Halifax Regional Police are working with a military helicopter this week to spot marijuana plants from the sky.

One of several busts yesterday was made near Gaetz Brook junior high school in Head of Chezzetcook where police discovered 56 plants. They were not found on school property, but Sgt. Keith MacKinnon said the location was a concern.

The helicopter identified at least 35 sites yesterday — some on private land and others on Crown land. Once spotted from the sky, police teams on the ground (24 officers in teams of two) moved in and cut out the plants.

“When you consider one fully matured marijuana plant can produce 300-500 joints on the street, that’s a lot of marijuana plants taken out of the hands of young people,” said MacKinnon yesterday.

Most grow-ops usually fund higher levels of organized crime, he added.

“This puts a dent in their efforts.”

There were no arrests yesterday and there likely won’t be any during this operation. MacKinnon said they don’t have the resources to sit officers on all grow-ops to wait for someone to come by and tend the plants.

“So we take the plants and we investigate once we have more evidence to lead to arrests on,” he said. “Today’s operation is pure eradication.”