Dob in a dope grower key to clean-up for Northland

Police say cannabis is a clear gateway to other criminal activities. Photo / Northern Advocate

Nearly half the national cannabis crop destroyed during annual raids this season was hauled out of Northland.

And police are now putting those involved in the cannabis trade on notice by encouraging people to clean up their communities and "dob in a dope grower".

Nationally, police seized 141,00 plants in the 2008-09 year with, they say, the potential to cause community harm estimated at $379 million.

In Northland, last year's annual cannabis operation sprayed or ripped out 67,508 cannabis plants - 47 per cent of the national haul and 22,000 more plants than the previous season.

Nationally, police arrested 1125 people - 245 from Northland - seized 191 firearms and recovered stolen property worth $400,000, which included $90,000-worth from the North.

The national haul of plants was the highest in 10 years and up by 17,000 on the previous year.

The head of Northland's organised crime unit, Detective Sergeant John Miller, said the amount of cannabis found in the region was nothing to be proud of but a combination of factors had led to the record number of cannabis plants seized.

Fine weather during the operation helped but good information from the public, keen to dob in dope growers, made the difference. The public had, more than before, used a freephone number set up by police to deal with tipoffs.

"There is more of a drive for the public to come forward and help us. They put us in the right spot to take out the cannabis and catch the growers," Mr Miller said. "If they want to clean up their communities, we will certainly deal with it."

Police were receiving information about growers preparing plots since the arrival of warmer weather.

"All information is treated confidentially and the more information the better," he said.

He said most cannabis tinnie houses were selling-points for methamphetamine as well.

"Cannabis and meth come hand in hand now and there is a real link between drugs, stolen property, firearms and gangs."

It was probable most of the cannabis produced in Northland was destined for Auckland.

Police national cannabis operation co-ordinator Detective Senior Sergeant Scott McGill said that during the year police searched more than 820 houses and properties. The results showed cannabis was a gateway drug to other criminal activities.

Mr McGill said the potential socio-economic harm of $379 million the drug could have had on the community was based on a conservative estimate that 226g of cannabis was produced from each plant.

Drug Foundation director Ross Bell said cannabis was the most popular illegal drug in the country.

He said too much pressure was placed on police to fix the drug problem and more effort needed to be put into education in schools and treatment.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE, NZPA