[OG Kush]

Police can thank the public for helping to bust a major grow operation on Scotchlake Road in George's River.

A couple in their 40's were taken into custody. The female was arrested at the home Thursday evening. The male was arrested when he showed up at his house at about 2 a.m. on Friday.

The two spent the night in jail and were released Friday on strict conditions. They have been ordered to appear in Provincial Court in October on charges of cultivation and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

"This is the largest grow operation we shut down so far this year," said Sgt. O'Rourke of the Cape Breton Regional Police street crime unit. "The value of the plants alone is about $100,000; at street level it's probably a whole lot more."

An extremely sophisticated grow operation, it began in a greenhouse at the back of the property. Once the plants were hardened, they were moved to the woods about 300 feet from the house.

Police expect the plants would have been ready to be harvested in a couple of weeks. There were more than 100 plants in large plastic tubs. Most were close to six feet tall.

According to O'Rourke, the person or persons responsible knew what they were doing.

"We found different paraphernalia going back a few years which would indicate that this isn't a first. Those plants were nurtured, they were well cared for and were close to being ready for harvest. This operation had it all, the electrical right down to irrigation."

He said officers camped in the woods overnight to make sure no one came back to destroy any of the evidence.

"Our officers will clear this entire site of any trace of the operation. We'll take samples of each plant and they will be taken to an unnamed location and destroyed,"

O'Rourke said grow operations are popping up in every community.

"It's being grown everywhere. That's why we need the public. If you're walking in the woods and come across plants you figure could be marijuana, give police a call."

He cautioned people to be aware of traps while hiking or walking in the woods.

"As a safety precaution, we always check an area for booby-traps before going in. This one wasn't ( booby-trapped ), but we've come across some nasty traps and homemade devices in the past that could cause significant harm. That's the whole idea behind the traps, to protect the operation."

The Cape Breton Regional Police street drug team has issued in excess of 30 warrants with information from the public.

"This bust was as a direct result of such information," he said. "When we get a tip, whether it is a call to Crime Stoppers or something passed on to one of our patrol officers, we react and have had good results."


Newshawk: SX420 - 420Girls.com
Source: 420Times.com
Pubdate: Sat, 26 Aug 2006
Author: Julie Collins
Copyright: 2006 Cape Breton Post
Contact: letters@cbpost.com
Website: http://www.capebretonpost.com/