A joint marijuana plant eradication operation was conducted on Kaua’i from March 5 to March 7. But there were no people arrested, no violent political movements quashed. Instead, 4020 growing marijuana plants were seized and slated for destruction during the
A joint marijuana plant eradication operation was conducted on Kaua’i from March 5 to March 7.
But there were no people arrested, no violent political movements quashed.
Instead, 4020 growing marijuana plants were seized and slated for destruction during the recent operation led by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Other agencies assisting included the Kaua’i Police Department, the Honolulu Police Department, the Maui Police Department, the Hawai’i County Police Department, DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) agents, the U.S. Army and a contract helicopter company.
The marijuana seized during the operation ranged from seedlings to fully matured and budding plants.
The marijuana plants are destroyed by burning on Kaua’i at this time.
The latest raid is nothing new.
Last year, vice officers, with help from the state and the military, destroyed more than 26,000 marijuana plants and seedlings on Kaua’i.
In January, Lt. Marty Curnan, who currently heads up Kaua’i’s vice squad for KPD, said marijuana once was much more common on Kaua’i.
“I’ve been doing marijuana eradication since it started in 1978. It’s not like it was 20 years ago before the forfeiture laws (which allow law enforcement to take homes and other property from those convicted of drug offenses),” Curnan said.
Curnan said 20 years ago he could uncover 50,000 marijuana plants on Kaua’i in less than a week.
According to Curnan, back then pot was everywhere.
Last year while Kaua’i was destroying 26,000 plants and seedlings, Oahu authorities destroyed 33,000 plants and seedlings and Maui destroyed more than 82,000 plants.
But the Big Island might just as easily be called the Big Smoke. Authorities there repossessed and destroyed more than 383,000 plants and seedlings in 2001.
Authorities estimated the plants destroyed last week on Kaua’i would be worth as much as $4 million on the street.
During two raids within 45 days last fall, authorities destroyed almost 8500 plants and estimated the value of the marijuana destroyed then at $8.5 million.
No arrests were made during those two raids either.
TGI staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681, Ext. 241 or e-mail mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net.
