Pubdate: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 Source: Observer, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2002 The Sarnia Observer Contact: http://www.canada.com/sarnia/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1676 Author: Scott Stephenson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) 1 MILLION IN MARIJUANA SEIZED Almost 2,000 marijuana plants with a street value of about $1 million were seized from Sarnia-Lambton corn-fields this week by law enforcement and armed forces personnel. Using a Canadian Forces Gryphon helicopter, authorities were able to spot marijuana growing in rural areas before swooping in with troops, RCMP, OPP, Sarnia Police and Lambton County Drug Unit officers. In another marijuana eradication program development, Crime Stoppers has announced it will double its cash rewards during the next two months for tips leading to drug-related arrests. Program co-ordinator, OPP Const. Murray Finch, said September and October are traditionally the months when drug growers are busy harvesting and packaging their outdoor crops for sale. It's also the time when more people have information about such activities. "We're trying to encourage more calls from people who have knowledge about drug growers in Sarnia-Lambton," Finch said. "The incentive is the cash reward. If we can create a better incentive for people to call in, we'll take more drugs off the street." Normally, Crime Stoppers pays out cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information about a crime that leads to an arrest. Under the increased rewards program the maximum reward being offered for the next two months is $2,000. Finch said callers to Crime Stoppers do not have to disclose their identity and Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to caller display or call trace. Last September and October, local police seized more than $850,000 in marijuana as a direct result of information received through Crime Stoppers. As for the increased rewards, Finch says, "it seems to work in taking drugs off the street. The grow season is over and basically they tend to harvest the drugs in September and October, and of course the packaging and drying takes place then as well." Finch said it is during this period when growers have picked their crop and are stashing it in barns and in sheds for drying and packaging. "When it's in movement like that, more people are privy to that information and it's a better time to grab them," he said. Prior to this week's developments, police had already taken approximately $1.7 million in marijuana off the streets of Sarnia-Lambton so far this year. That's nearly double the $977,000 worth of cannabis seized all of last year. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh