Marijuana plants haul from Duck Pond in 2010
Over the past two weeks the Royal Montserrat Police Force (RMPF) has been reporting to ZJB on their marijuana plants busting operations. The Montserrat Reporter continues to have difficulty obtaining information from the Police.
According to the reports on ZJB radio the RMPF carried out operations over the past two weeks resulting in hauls at Duck Pond and a second in the New Windward area further east of the island. Inspector Billy Darroux told the radio station that most of their operations “these days are from intelligence lead… information has been coming in we do …mountain patrol sometimes…”
Over the period the report stated the police uprooted approximately 1000 and 375 marijuana plants in two hauls. Meantime there have been no arrests over the cultivation of the plants.
For the last two – three years the RMPF received continuous assistance from the British Royal Navy in several hauls of narcotics. Last year the HMS Manchester as part of the counter Narcotics operation provided its lynx helicopter to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the island. A power boat was observed from the helicopter operating in a manner that raised suspicion of illicit activity. The RMPF launch was directed by the HMS MANCHESTER and they intercepted the vessel and the spotted 12×25 kg bales of marijuana which had been landed onto a local beach.
The bales were estimated to be about £500,000 ($2001010.30 EC), and the boat and crew of Vincentian nationality were taken in the custody of the RMPF.
Inspector Darroux pointed out that the New Windward area is, “not a new area that area. We have had some success in that area destroying fields over the last few years.” He concluded that there are actually some very large fields in that area.”
