OPP warn public of outdoor Marihuana Grow Ops danger

OPP News Release

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ORILLIA – The Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Section (DES) is alerting the public to the increasing dangers associated with outdoor marihuana grow operations.

During the summer months each year, persons involved in growing marihuana head into rural areas to grow and care for, in some cases, very large plots of marihuana plants. Typically, these illicit crops are located in areas such as:

• Swamps
• Corn fields
• Wooded areas
• Along rivers, and
• Rural rental properties with large acreage.

Marihuana plants are bright green in colour and grow to between three and five feet in height. Marihuana leaves have seven jagged fingers and the plants give off an odour similar to that of a skunk.

Common indicators of outdoor marihuana grows include:

1. Abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails.
2. People observed walking in remote areas for no apparent reason.
3. Bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas.
4. Well-trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas.
5. Cleared out areas in swamps, wooded area or corn fields.
6. Numerous signs appear out of nowhere indicating “No Trespassing.”

Typically, marihuana crops will be harvested starting as early as late August up until the beginning of October.

During this time, there are numerous safety risks of which the public should be wary. “These risks include the potential presence of criminals, weapons and ammunition found on grow-op sites, and the potential for booby traps, rigged by the criminals growing these plants in an attempt to defend their illegal crops from other criminals known as ‘pot pirates’,” according to Vince Hawkes, Deputy Commissioner – OPP Investigations & Organized Crime Command. All of these factors could lead to dangerous confrontations for unsuspecting, innocent people – including children – who just happen to be in the area of these illegal crops.

Another risk that the OPP want to highlight is to the environment. These criminal operations usually involve the unregulated use of many chemicals and other environmentally-damaging products.

If you discover or suspect an outdoor marihuana grow operation:

1. As soon as possible, call your local police or Crime Stoppers.

2. Do not touch the marihuana plants due to potential chemical residue on the plants.

3. If confronted by a marihuana grower, do not confront them. Leave the area immediately and contact police.

4. If possible and safe to do so, record any license plate information and notify police.

5. In some cases, outdoor marihuana grows are guarded or protected by booby- traps. If you discovered a crop of marijuana plants, do not enter the grow! For your personal safety, turn around and immediately leave the area the same way you came in and immediately notify police.

The OPP Drug Enforcement Section will once again be out in full force this summer searching for and eradicating marihuana grow operations. In 2008, the OPP eradicated 108,161 marihuana plants across the province during an eight-week period.

Anyone with information in relation to marijuana grow operations are asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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