Safety of communities, not economics, reason for major grow op busts this summer in West Kootenay
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
Although police won’t speculate on the economic ramifications of their summer grow operation busting activity, they have managed to take a bite out of the meal ticket of what they consider to be “organized crime.”
The Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment took over 20,000 marijuana plants — or around 22,570 pounds of bud (40 million cigarettes) — from 96 outdoor grow operation sites throughout the West Kootenay/Boundary region this summer.
Despite the resultant effect of reducing the cash crop for one of the economically poorer regions in the province, police were adamant the move was made to reduce the impact of organized crime in the region, and make it a safer place.
“I have absolutely no doubt that the majority of this marihuana is distributed and exported by the hands of organized criminal groups to other markets in Canada and the United States,” said Insp. Nick Romanchuk, the officer in charge of Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment.
“While we certainly haven’t eliminated the marijuana industry, the effect of removing in excess of 40 million marihuana cigarettes from the illicit market will have a significant impact on the safety of our communities.”
He said the amount of marijuana seized during the investigation speaks to the “extreme quantities of marijuana produced in the West Kootenay/Boundary and throughout British Columbia.”
The majority of the grow sites were located on Crown land and were unattended when discovered, said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, E Division senior media relations officer in Penticton.
However, in three instances search warrants were executed at grow operations located on private property. As a result, five people are facing a number of charges, including production of a controlled substance, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Pair of grow operations dismantled in Revelstoke
Over 1,000 marijuana plants were removed from the Revelstoke area in early October as RCMP cashed in a tip and managed to dismantle two outdoor grow operations.
The first grow was located on Friday, Oct. 1 up the Gorge Creek Forest Service Road near Malakwa. With the assistance of the RCMP helicopter, a team of officers were flown into the remote location.
Approximately 866 mature marijuana plants, along with a shotgun were seized.
The second operation was located south of Revelstoke near the Shelter Bay Ferry terminal on Oct. 3. This time police seized 233 plants.
Police have no suspects in either matter.
“Had these two seizures made it to the street it would have been enough marihuana to supply every man, woman and child in Revelstoke with over 50 joints each,” said Cpl. Rod Wiebe, media relations officer with the Revelstoke detachment.
