[Sativa]

It was a $20,000 harvest Larry Ateah definitely was not expecting.

The Victoria Beach resident found a hefty "bumper crop" of marijuana this week, which was hidden inside the pickup truck he purchased at an auction in July.

On Wednesday, he saw a small piece of rubber hanging from the bumper and decided to investigate.

"In behind the bumper, there was a plate with four screws holding it in. I unscrewed it and four one-pound bags of marijuana in cellophane fell out," said Ateah.

He was later told that amount of pot is worth about $20,000 on the street.

Ateah said the find wasn't a complete shock since he knew his vehicle had been used to haul drugs in the past.

Though he said he's not familiar with the drug, Ateah quickly called RCMP to turn in the substance, due to his vehicle's history.

"I wasn't too overly surprised. I told my wife I would find something in there one day," said Ateah. "Now I'm the talk of Victoria Beach."

RCMP Cpl. Chris Ballard said the vehicle was seized by officers as the proceeds of crime, after a major drug investigation in 2003.

Somehow the pot stash found this week remained inside.

"We have no reason to suspect these drugs came from anywhere else than the original shipment," said Ballard. "It's really an indication of how sophisticated couriers can be and the lengths they go to secure contraband in a vehicle."

Ballard said the vehicle used to ship drugs was stripped and meticulously searched to locate about 80 kg of marijuana during the initial investigation.

"We're looking at almost four goalie bags full of marijuana hidden in this truck," said Ballard. "It was hidden in the door panels, the fenders, in behind the bed line of the pickup truck. There were a number of compartments filling the parts of the vehicle."

Mounties turn over vehicles seized in drug investigations to a federal body, Ballard said. A lengthy legal process follows to determine if the item will be auctioned off.


News Moderator: CoZmO - http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: The Winnipeg Sun (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Author: Joyanne Pursaga
Contact: joyanne.pursaga@sunmedia.ca
Copyright: 2007 Canoe Inc.
Website: winnipegsun.com