(SOUTH-WEST OXFORD, ON) – As part of the ongoing efforts to combat the drug trade, Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) continue to gather information regarding illegal marihuana grow operations.
On September 2, 2013 members of Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) Western Region Highway Enforcement Team stopped to check an abandoned vehicle located adjacent to a corn field in South-West Oxford Township. The Investigation led to the arrest of two males exiting the corn field with two bags loaded with cultivated marihuana plants.
Large quantities of cannabis marihuana plants were seized.
The 2 males were charged with:
· Possession for the Purpose Schedule II over 3 kg – The Controlled Drug and Substances Act
· Production Schedule II (cannabis marihuana) – The Controlled Drug and Substance Act
The males were held for a bail hearing and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Woodstock.
The identification of the males is not being released pending further investigation.
Typically, marihuana crops will be harvested starting as early as August up until the beginning of October. During this period of time, people involved with growing illegal marihuana head into rural areas to continue to care for and harvest, in some cases very large plots of marihuana plants. These illicit crops are located in swamps, corn fields, wooded areas, along rivers and on rural rental properties with large acreage.
The numerous public safety risks include the potential presence of weapons and ammunition found on grow-op sites, and the potential for traps, rigged by the criminals in an attempt to defend their illegal crops from other criminals known as “pot piratesâ€. All of these factors could lead to dangerous confrontations for unsuspecting innocent people who just happen to be in the area of these illegal crops.
Another risk that the O.P.P. wants to highlight is environmental. These criminal operations usually involve the unregulated use and disposal of many chemicals and other environmentally damaging products.
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 a strong, pungent, musty odour. Common indicators of outdoor marihuana grow operations include:
· Abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails.
· People observed walking in remote areas for no apparent reason
· Bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas
· Well-trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas
· Cleared out areas in swamps, wooded areas of corn fields
· Recent posting of “No Trespassing†signs
Public Safety Tips
If you discover or suspect an outdoor marihuana grow operation:
As soon as possible, call your local police or Crime stoppers
Do not touch the marihuana plants due to potential chemical residue on the plants
If confronted by a marihuana grower, leave the area immediately and contact police
If possible and safe to do so, record any license plate or Global Positioning System (G.P.S.) information and notify police
In some cases, outdoor marihuana grows are guarded or protected by traps. If you discover a crop of marihuana plants, do not enter the area! For your personal safety, turn around and immediately leave the area the same way you came in.
If anyone has any information on drug activity, they are encouraged to call police at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).