Cannabis seized in helicopter swoop

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 5

Cannabis seized in helicopter swoop

By

BARRY CLARKE

Several thousand can-

nabis plants have been seized in the first police helicopter swoop in Canterbury this summer. The plants, ranging in size from seedlings to 1.5 m high, were found at several places, Chief Inspector Bob McMeeking said yesterday. The haul points to last summer’s tally of 25,395 plants found in Canterbury, South Canterbury and the West Coast being bettered, he said. Mr McMeeking would not disclose, for security reasons, where last week’s plants were found. | “They came a __.

large number of plots varying in size from a half a dozen plants up to 200,” he said. “In some instances the growers had gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal the illegal plants from being seen from the air. “The measures adopted sometimes involved the use of shade cloth and camouflage netting, which is not uncommon. “Reports I’m getting from staff in the field last week indicate the illegal crop this season may well be up on last season.” Helicopter swoops will continue during the sum- ‘ mer. ■ ■■ 1 ;