Police destroy nearly 6 000 cannabis plants in St John operation

Police officers swept through several rural communities across St John on Saturday in a major anti-narcotics operation, destroying nearly 6 000 cannabis plants with an estimated street value exceeding $1.4m.

Members of the Special Operations Management Division launched Operation Green Bay in the early morning, targeting dense brush and farmland in Welch, Cliff Cottage, Bath Land and Colleton, police said. The raid resulted in the uprooting and eradication of 5 968 cannabis plants, ranging from small seedlings to mature trees standing up to eight feet high.

Authorities confirmed that the seized vegetation weighed a combined 356.79kg. Despite the scale of the haul, no suspects were apprehended during the sweep, and police said investigations were continuing as they sought to identify the organizers behind the illicit cultivation network.