PORT PERRY -- Durham drug enforcement officers, with help from the regional police service's helicopter, teamed up to remove an estimated 500 marijuana plants from a wooded area just north of Port Perry on Monday. According to Durham police, the Air1 chopper directed drug officers into a wooded area near Old Simcoe Road and Whitfield Road on Aug. 27, resulting in the discovery and confiscation of 500 pot plants in various stages of growth.
Police estimate the value of the crop at about $500,000.
Authorities claim that officers from the air support unit have noticed a decline in outdoor marijuana crops this summer due to ongoing surveillance efforts.
Police say that the air support unit, as part of regular patrols, keeps a keen eye out for areas of illegal drug cultivation. Such crops, say authorities, are usually found in isolated rural properties and are often being grown without the knowledge or consent of the landowner. Citizens with large rural properties are asked to report suspicious activities to the cops.
Anyone with information regarding outdoor grow operations, or suspected operations, is asked to call the drug enforcement unit at 905-579-1520, ext. 5800. Anonymous tips can be made to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.