In biggest anti-narcotic raid in the Berbice River recently, ‘B’ Division police, aided by a helicopter from the army destroyed 10 marijuana fields at Gateroy on an 18-acre plot of land on Thursday.
The ranks burnt 28,000 plants ranging from one foot to 10 feet in height, and weighing approximately 22,000 kilograms (kg) as well as 45,000 two-inch plants that were found in 15 nurseries.
Reports are that the officers, who numbered over 60, travelled the 55-mile journey with four speedboats and also demolished eight tarpaulin camps in the fields. Police conducted a search at a building and unearthed 3,000 kg of compressed weed.
Thursday’s operation was the third in less than two weeks and many male residents, apparently aware that the police would return, abandoned their fields and homes and are said to be in hiding at another location. Police said eight camps were dismantled while no arrests were made.
On February 20 police raided a field at Sand Hills and arrested three persons who have since been charged and remanded to prison.
A marijuana field and two camps were destroyed and police seized a quantity of chemicals, measuring scales, 150 pounds of compressed weed among other items. A few days later the lawmen returned to the area and destroyed 4,000 pounds of the plants at Gateroy.
Prior to the latest raids, police in ‘B’ Division had visited Gateroy five years ago and were destroying the ganja fields when persons torched their boat.
The boat was left unattended in the water and perhaps outraged that their ‘livelihood’ was being destroyed, the ganja farmers set the police boat alight, leaving the officers stranded until they were eventually rescued.
