Super-strength cannabis clones found in drugs raid

Super-strength cloned cannabis plants have been found in a north Canterbury drug raid that uncovered up to $2.5 million worth of the drug.

Police said Operation Kristy followed a cannabis raid in the Nelson Bays area this month that netted almost 6000 plants, 15 firearms and $10,000 worth of stolen property.

The Press reported today that at least 16 people will face charges as a result of the finds, which include morphine, hashish and BZP, and police said more prosecutions were likely.

Some of the 2500 marijuana plants found during this week's operation were likely to have been grown by methamphetamine addicts to fund their addiction to harder drugs, police said.

Detective Sergeant Chris Roberts, co-ordinator of the operation, said the number of plants showed there was no slowdown in outdoor cannabis cultivation, despite a perceived trend towards indoor growth.

"The size and nature of many of the plants recovered indicates an increase in the degree of sophistication through the use of cloned plants producing a consistently high-grade and volume of cannabis head," Mr Roberts said.

- NZPA