[420 Girl]

A summer eradication project in the Kamloops region is being touted as a huge success, netting police 19,056 marijuana plants plus a quantity of harvested, dried marijuana bud.

This project, spear-headed by members from Ashcroft, Barriere, Chase, Clearwater, Kamloops Rural, Lillooet, Lytton and Salmon Arm Detachments, began in early August and concluded in late September.

During this period of time, a total of 21 RCMP members and two RCMP helicopters were used to eradicate marijuana grow sites throughout the regions, targeting Crown land.

Several outdoor growing operations were encountered in each of the detachment areas involved, some so remote officers had to be transported into the sites via helicopter.

The plants were harvested and air-lifted out to other officers waiting to transport them to disposal sites.

With over 19,000 plants eradicated, RCMP estimate if allowed to mature, this crop could have produced over 4.8 million marijuana joints that would have ended up on the street and possibly, into the hands of children.

An additional 36 kilograms of dried harvested marijuana bud was also eradicated ( equivalent to 109,056 joints ).

A variety of resources were utilized. In this instance, police in the Kamloops region of the Southeast District of B.C. called on RCMP helicopters, ATV's and 4x4 vehicles.

RCMP credit the success to diligent background work and the effort put into the project by each detachment involved through gathering intelligence and confirming the suspected grow sites.

Charges against three individuals are pending in one of the cases. As is the case in many Crown land grow operations, finding those involved on site, tending to the illegal crop, is critical to securing a conviction in court.

Illegal marijuana grow operations in B.C. are a 6 billion dollar industry, annually. Marijuana from this province is smuggled across the border into the US; this type of illegal enterprise is linked to organized crime of one form or another, claims a press release issued October 11.

As the outdoor growing draws to a close, police will continue to focus on those involved in indoor marijuana growing operations.

The public is asked to report any suspicious activity in their community to the local RCMP detachment office.

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