Joint initiative on Vancouver Island seize 16,500 marijuana plants

Project SABOT, a marijuana eradication program on Vancouver Island, saw the RCMP, Saanich Police Department, and the Victoria Police Department join forces to battle outdoor marijuana grow operations on Vancouver Island. The Department of National Defense (DND) is also an important partner in this annual aerial program, flying team members into areas of the Island that are hard to reach by conventional transportation means.

With a start date of August 22, 2006, police reconnaissance crews identified 250 outdoor marijuana growing sites, varying in size from as few as 20 plants to as many as 300 plants. In all, across the Island, police seized 16,500 marijuana plants over a time span of two weeks.

Cst. Darren Lagan, Project SABOT coordinator said that the air operation is only one part of the project. Local Island detachments also eradicate sites leading up to the air program and after it's conclusion. Another great outcome of the Project is the relationship and mutual respect that comes out of our partnership with DND. They were an invaluable asset to our project and conducted an extremely safe aerial program." Added Lagan, "All our team members are to be congratulated. The work is gruelling and backbreaking, but well worth the efforts. We tend to harvest more plants from the northern end of the Island. That's not a reflection on communities in the northern Island. It's not local residents setting this up; it's groups from larger areas. The northern Island has more crown land and for growers, it's a suitable site."

"We know there is a direct link between marijuana grow operations and organized crime groups. This is an integral part of our battle against organized crime."

If you suspect or have information about a marihuana grow-op in your neighbourhood, please contact your local RCMP detachment or the police service of jurisdiction in your area.