Police raid Mekeo marijuana garden

 By ADAM MERA

A JOINT operation by the National Drug and Vice Squad (NDVS) and auxiliary policemen from Bereina have seized marijuana with a street value of K15,000.

The drug bust was made in Mekeo, Central, last weekend.

An officer from the NDVS, Sgt Morgan Bruno, said the operation was carried out after a tip-off on the cultivation of marijuana in Ioi and surrounding area of Kairuku-Hiri electorate.

He said about 50 plants and 221 seedlings were confiscated during the raid that would sell for K15,000 on the streets.

He said cultivators fled before any arrests could be made, but he was happy with the outcome of the operation.

“I am glad with the results of the operation and would like to commend my team for such a successful operation,” Bruno said. 

“Word had spread of us making this raid and the cultivators escaped.

“But I am still glad we managed to destroy all the plants.” 

He said the cultivators were either informed by mobile phones or through relatives who had seen them making their way up river to Apainaipi village then Ioi. 

They could have informed those cultivating the drugs.

“Considering it was the first time we have actually carried out an operation in this particular part of the area, we were not prepared. 

And it gave the cultivators the upper hand,” he said.

Bruno said successive operations would follow suit when reports were compiled and expected a bigger haul.

He said he hoped arrests would also be made.

All plants confiscated from the raid have been destroyed.