By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – If you plant it, they will come.
If “it” is actually a series of marijuana fields in SDG and Prescott-Russell during the outdoor cultivation season. And “they” is the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
A total of 1,743 outdoor cannabis crops were seized from September 8-13 during Project SABOT, an annual sweep by several partnering local police agencies since 1989.
“This proactive strategy impacts the activities and financial benefits of organized crime,” said Tim Kimpan, officer in charge of the CRTF.
CAF aircrafts and surveillance equipment are used to seize the crops prior to harvesting, with the assistance from concerned citizens.
The CRTF is a partnership of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario Ministry of Revenue, and the Cornwall Community Police Service.
A long list of law enforcement agencies assisted with SABOT: the Eastern Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT), the Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS), the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), Ontario and the National Capital Region’s Emergency Response Teams, and members from the Kingston and Ottawa RCMP Detachments.
To report suspicious activity, please contact the CRTF at 613-937-2800 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
