RCMP seize marijuana and firearms in grow-op bust
Charges are pending against two people after RCMP and the Alert Green Team from Edmonton seized about 1,800 marijuana plants, with an estimated street value of $2 million, from a farm property northeast of St. Paul on Jan. 3.
Roy Krekoski, 67, and an as yet unnamed 62-year-old female, could face charges of production of marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, according to Acting Sgt. Ray Savage of the Alert Green Team. More charges may be forthcoming as a result of the RCMP’s discovery of unsafely stored firearms at the property, located seven kilometres north of the Town of St. Paul.
“This is considered a large-scale, illegal commercial project,” said Savage, noting the location was “ideal” since it was more remote and saw less traffic. “The operation was continuous in nature and there was evidence of previous harvests in this location.” He said it was suspected the grow-op had been operating for at least a year.
St. Paul RCMP began investigating during the fall of 2012. About 12 members of St. Paul RCMP, with assistance from the Green Team, executed a search warrant at the location on Jan. 3, working through the day to dismantle and seize the 1,816 plants in various stages of growth. RCMP also located about $20,000 worth of grow equipment, and 15 long-barrel firearms, including one carbine rifle, that were unsafely stored. RCMP also seized 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the location.
Savage said it was important to raise community awareness of the work RCMP had done, as well as the risks associated with such operations. Electrical hazards and mould were found in the location that was “essentially a converted hog barn . . . converted completely for the purpose of cultivating marijuana.”
More information about the charges and the accused will follow, according to an RCMP press release.
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Comments
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message ID: 335016
Post On: January 25, 2013
Posted by User #: Lukelavoy
Posted by IP:
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I live south of lavoy alberta (thats near vegreville) and I always see 3 or 4 low flying planes going back and fourth over the farms here. I have used binoculars, but you can see the planes without them easy if you look up. Weird also by Riley (south of Vegreville), this past October I drove to my cousins farm on the backroads and saw flashing lights in the sky. I stopped and watched for a while and there were 5 planes going very slow in what looked like a pattern. 2 of the planes followed me to my cousins farm and watched us for 30 min. Boy did they move slow.
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message ID: 335010
Post On: January 19, 2013
Posted by User #: Camperman
Posted by IP:
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I used to live in St Paul, but now I live near Vegreville, and nightly four to seven smaller jet aircraft patrol the skies around rural Vegreville, Two Hills, Mundare, Holden, and Riley. This night patrol around my area was told to me by a pilot I know. Since last summer I personally witnessed multiple aircraft in the sky going very slow back and fourth over the farm yards around here. I have spoken to friends and family in the other areas I mentioned, and they have witnessed these multiple slow moving aircraft flying in a pattern at night. It seems like they are at one of these areas (or all? ) almost every night.
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message ID: 335009
Post On: January 19, 2013
Posted by User #: Camperman
Posted by IP:
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Grow operations are the worst illegal businesses to be involved with in this day and age. The reason is the technology and resources the RCMP have at their disposal. The main one being FLIR. Forward looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military aircraft, use an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras—as well as those of other thermal imaging cameras—use detection of infrared radiation, typically emitted from a heat source, to create a "picture" assembled for video output. They can be used to help pilots and drivers steer their vehicles at night and in fog, or to detect warm objects against a cooler background. Probably their biggest help comes from Operation SABOT. Operation SABOT is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police marijuana-eradication program conducted with support from the Canadian Forces. The RCMP are supplied with all sorts of aircraft (piloted by Canadian Forces personel) which they use to find the grow operations. The FLIR cameras and multiple planes make it fairly easy. This is done mainly at night. If Mr Krekoski knew how the police find grow ops using planes and infrared cameras, he would have noticed the aircraft in the sky, mainly at night, watching him for months. Most likely a tip to police led to his farm being put under surveillance for months. From the sky they saw everything.
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message ID: 334979
Post On: January 4, 2013
Posted by User #: Bill Lawrence
Posted by IP:
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Roy?