Nursery linked bust nets 250 people.... Carefull where you buy equipment.

Wellington - New Zealand police arrested 250 people on Tuesday in an operation to bust a nationwide cannabis growing and distribution industry allegedly hiding behind a chain of legitimate garden centres.

More than 700 charges were laid against employees, managers and directors of the companies and growers involved, including the gardening chain that has 16 branches throughout the country and a distribution centre.

Police Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope said more than 100 commercial cannabis growers linked to the businesses, which supplied them with hydroponic equipment used to grow the plants, had been identified during a two-year undercover operation.

He said undercover officers had bought equipment over the counter and were given advice on how to grow cannabis.

Police sources said that hydroponic gear to grow fruit and vegetables legitimately indoors and under lights was very expensive and because it was not viable, the equipment was predominantly sold to grow drugs.

Police did not name the garden centre chain involved pending court hearings but TVNZ identified the garden centre chain involved as Switched On Gardener.


- SAPA

http://www.news24.com/World/News/Garden-shops-used-for-dagga-sales-20100427

Once again the New Zealand police arrest people on assumption.

What's really sad is how our police force go on about not having enough resources to combat child abuse...yet they have enough resources to mount a two year operation on harmless cannabis growers/consumers.

Let people grow for their own personal use and remove the criminal gangs out of the equation then . Problem solved .

waste of tax payers money harmless cannabis growers/consumers.


use the resources to combat child abuse thats the real problem but sounds like too much hard work.

They just pick on harmless cannabis growers/consumers instead of sorting out the underlying problem .