Have You Seen This Plant?
New Zealand Police Central News Release
9:33am 8 December 2008
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release.html?id=4559

Residents in rural Taranaki are being asked to keep their eyes peeled for signs of cannabis production as we move into the notorious growing season.

Between November and March it is considered the cannabis growing season. The 'growers' will not hesitate to trespass on to properties and land to plant and nurture cannabis. Offenders are particularly known to take advantage of farmers growing maize and corn, attempting to hide their own plants in between the tall crops as well as farmland covered in trees which are not used for stock.

The vast rural geography of the Taranaki makes the region a regular target. Nationally a police operation last season saw approximately 124,000 plants destroyed and 780 offenders arrested.

Detective Constable Frank Melhop said: There's is a great deal of work that police do to prevent drugs offences and catch those responsible, but this can be aided considerably by landowners, both rural and urban, being vigilant and reporting any relevant information to police.

"All we ask is that people keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, such as vehicles or people acting suspiciously. Also that landowners check for signs of interference and report anything that might be relevant. If you do see anything out of the ordinary or come across a cannabis plantation please give police a call. All calls will be kept in confidence and can be anonymous. All we need is the information that can assist us in stopping the production of cannabis."

Cannabis has a negative impact on our society as it provides an illegal source of income for those who grow and sell cannabis. People using cannabis tend to experiment with harder drugs such as methamphetamine which leads to antisocial behaviour such as burglaries and violent offences.

ENDS

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