04-04-2008, 12:52 PM
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Able To Roll A Joint
Able to roll a joint
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: The light side of the moon.
Posts: 95
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Pilotless Drones to Battle Pot Growers
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Quote:
The U.S. Forest Service has bought a pair of flying drones to track down marijuana growers operating in remote California woodlands.
 (ABC News Photo Illustration)
Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who oversees the Forest Service, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the pilotless, camera-equipped aircraft will allow law enforcement officers to pinpoint marijuana fields and size up potential dangers before agents attempt arrests.
Rey said there are increasing numbers of marijuana growers financed by Mexican drug cartels using California's forests to stage their operations.
"We're dealing with organized efforts now — not just a couple of hippies living off the land and making some cash on the side," Rey said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C.
The purchase of the two SkySeer drones, for a combined $100,000, reflects rising interest in remote-controlled aircraft among law enforcement, science and other government agencies.
Once used almost exclusively by defense and intelligence agencies, drones are now routinely flown by the Department of Homeland Security to patrol the Mexican border. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hopes to use them on weather missions.
The two Forest Service drones differ from those used by other agencies. They're lighter — less than five pounds apiece — and can fly for only about an hour.
Sold by Octatron of La Verne, Calif., the battery-powered SkySeer can fly at under 30 miles per hour, has a two-mile range and is operated by a two-man crew on the ground, according to the company. One of the drones bought by the Forest Service was equipped with a thermal camera for nighttime flights.
The purchase was disclosed in documents obtained through a freedom of information request filed by the group Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility.
The group's executive director, Jeff Ruch, questioned whether the Forest Service needed the machines. He said the purchase reflected a "boys with toys" mentality within the agency and that manned aircraft flyovers were adequate.
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ABC News: Narc Drones to Catch Pot Growers
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