Binky
09-07-2005, 11:09 AM
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Cops seize 9,000 pot plants in Valley
By GORDON DELANEY Valley Bureau
Halifax Chronicle Herald
http://www.herald.ns.ca/2005/09/07/bigthumbs/2502.jpg
Cpl. Steven Hudson checks a tractor-trailer full of marijuana plants Tuesday. Police seized 9,000 plants.
TORBROOK - More than 40 police officers spent the last two days cutting, pulling and baling 9,000 marijuana plants from two fields at a farm in this small Annapolis Valley community.
The seizure, possibly the largest in Nova Scotia in recent years, began Sunday night and finished at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. It involved officers from several detachments around southwestern Nova Scotia, including Liverpool, Bridgewater, Digby, Annapolis and Kings.
When it was all over, a tractor-trailer drove down the dirt driveway filled to the brim with pungent plants that were on their way, under heavy police escort, to an undisclosed location to be incinerated.
Police would not put an exact dollar figure on the seizure, but they estimated the crop to be worth several million dollars, said Cpl. Steven Hudson, with the Annapolis detachment.
He said police received a tip about the marijuana crop from an undisclosed source a couple of weeks ago and they had been monitoring the property since. When they decided to make the raid, several heavily armed officers moved in and arrested a man at the farmhouse without incident Sunday night.
A Natural Resources Department helicopter, carrying RCMP officers, was also involved in the raid.
The man, whom police have not identified, was taken into custody and is scheduled to be arraigned in Kentville provincial court today.
The property, which includes an old farmhouse, a large barn and about 28 hectares of land, is located just off the East Torbrook Road, at the eastern end of Annapolis County. It's a small country road part way up the South Mountain, about a 15-minute drive southwest of Greenwood, with a couple of large farms and a few small houses.
The property is well off the road with a winding dirt driveway, posted with a Private Property sign.
Police had the driveway and the property blocked with cruisers and would not allow reporters near the house or barn.
Cpl. Hudson said the plants were found in two fields about 300 metres from the house and surrounded on all sides by thick woods. He described the largest field as being about the size of a football field.
The entire crop was planted outdoors, with no indoor hydroponic crop, which is usually found in large grow operations. The plants were about a metre tall.
Cpl. Hudson confirmed that Nova Scotia Power was called to the scene, along with an electrician, indicating that power was being used for either growing or drying purposes.
Police borrowed a tractor and two hay trailers from nearby farmer Robert Noble, president of the Annapolis County Federation of Agriculture.
"I've never seen anything like this in this area before," Mr. Noble said. "This is a professional grow operation."
He said people in the community were suspicious of the man who bought the property last March. He came from Toronto and kept to himself, said Mr. Noble.
Christine Moore lives across the road from the farm with her partner Terry Baltzer and their four-year-old son. She said she didn't know the man's last name, but she thought his first name was John and that he was of Asian descent.
He, and possibly a group of other Asian men from Toronto, bought the farm in March, she said.
"I just thought because he was from the city, he was keeping to himself," said Ms. Moore.
"I'm feeling a little bit uneasy," she added. "I don't need that going on across from me."
Cpl. Hudson said police are investigating possible links to organized crime. He added that it is the largest grow op he has ever seen.
http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2005/09/07/f246.raw.html
Cops seize 9,000 pot plants in Valley
By GORDON DELANEY Valley Bureau
Halifax Chronicle Herald
http://www.herald.ns.ca/2005/09/07/bigthumbs/2502.jpg
Cpl. Steven Hudson checks a tractor-trailer full of marijuana plants Tuesday. Police seized 9,000 plants.
TORBROOK - More than 40 police officers spent the last two days cutting, pulling and baling 9,000 marijuana plants from two fields at a farm in this small Annapolis Valley community.
The seizure, possibly the largest in Nova Scotia in recent years, began Sunday night and finished at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. It involved officers from several detachments around southwestern Nova Scotia, including Liverpool, Bridgewater, Digby, Annapolis and Kings.
When it was all over, a tractor-trailer drove down the dirt driveway filled to the brim with pungent plants that were on their way, under heavy police escort, to an undisclosed location to be incinerated.
Police would not put an exact dollar figure on the seizure, but they estimated the crop to be worth several million dollars, said Cpl. Steven Hudson, with the Annapolis detachment.
He said police received a tip about the marijuana crop from an undisclosed source a couple of weeks ago and they had been monitoring the property since. When they decided to make the raid, several heavily armed officers moved in and arrested a man at the farmhouse without incident Sunday night.
A Natural Resources Department helicopter, carrying RCMP officers, was also involved in the raid.
The man, whom police have not identified, was taken into custody and is scheduled to be arraigned in Kentville provincial court today.
The property, which includes an old farmhouse, a large barn and about 28 hectares of land, is located just off the East Torbrook Road, at the eastern end of Annapolis County. It's a small country road part way up the South Mountain, about a 15-minute drive southwest of Greenwood, with a couple of large farms and a few small houses.
The property is well off the road with a winding dirt driveway, posted with a Private Property sign.
Police had the driveway and the property blocked with cruisers and would not allow reporters near the house or barn.
Cpl. Hudson said the plants were found in two fields about 300 metres from the house and surrounded on all sides by thick woods. He described the largest field as being about the size of a football field.
The entire crop was planted outdoors, with no indoor hydroponic crop, which is usually found in large grow operations. The plants were about a metre tall.
Cpl. Hudson confirmed that Nova Scotia Power was called to the scene, along with an electrician, indicating that power was being used for either growing or drying purposes.
Police borrowed a tractor and two hay trailers from nearby farmer Robert Noble, president of the Annapolis County Federation of Agriculture.
"I've never seen anything like this in this area before," Mr. Noble said. "This is a professional grow operation."
He said people in the community were suspicious of the man who bought the property last March. He came from Toronto and kept to himself, said Mr. Noble.
Christine Moore lives across the road from the farm with her partner Terry Baltzer and their four-year-old son. She said she didn't know the man's last name, but she thought his first name was John and that he was of Asian descent.
He, and possibly a group of other Asian men from Toronto, bought the farm in March, she said.
"I just thought because he was from the city, he was keeping to himself," said Ms. Moore.
"I'm feeling a little bit uneasy," she added. "I don't need that going on across from me."
Cpl. Hudson said police are investigating possible links to organized crime. He added that it is the largest grow op he has ever seen.
http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2005/09/07/f246.raw.html