RCMP continue 'harvest' in the Slocan Valley with busts
Over the last 18 months the Slocan Lake RCMP detachment has been harvesting of another sort in the Slocan Valley — with a warning of more to come.
The detachment has executed 16 drug warrants in the valley, securing drug charges in nearly all of their cases, said Const. Shaun Foley of the Slocan Lake detachment.
RCMP members have also planned and executed two projects targeting outdoor marijuana cultivators.
“These projects are important initiatives because outdoor cultivators typically feel they can operate with impunity, however, police efforts like these prove otherwise,” said Const. Foley.
He said the Slocan Lake detachment will continue their drug enforcement effort throughout the remainder of the year and during the New Year.
The detachment has also been involved in some relatively significant seizures in the last year, Const. Foley explained, with restraint orders ordered on other properties in the valley for their association to drug offences. Applications will be made to have these properties forfeited, said Const. Foley.
In January of 2011, a judge ordered the forfeiture of $15,000 cash — seized during an outdoor grow operation investigation — as offence-related property to the Crown.
A recent drug investigation also revealed a house in Winlaw contained a clandestine lab. It was using a “dangerous extraction” technique where isopropyl alcohol is used to extract weed oil from marijuana plant material.
Const. Foley said RCMP members have seized a loaded firearm within arm’s reach of ammunition in seven drug investigations.
“The presence of firearms is, unfortunately, not a rare occurrence since many marijuana growers are at risk of being ripped off by competing rivals,” said Const. Foley, “including both local and non-local marijuana growers and drug traffickers.”
Many “grow rips” occur in the form of a home invasion which typically involves masked or unmasked subjects forcefully breaking into a home, whether the occupants are there or not, Const. Foley added.
“Cultivators, therefore, often protect themselves using the most reliable means: guns and other weapons.”
