The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force officers at Tetere and Henderson Stations, on Tuesday morning raided two farms of marijuana plants at Mbarande river side in North East Guadalcanal.
One of the officers described the raid as a surprise to locals living around the area, when police show up in numbers, surrounded the site and uprooted more than 4,500 marijuana plants.
Police said suspects escaped when police arrived in two vehicles.
Police said it took 12 RSIPF officers more than an hour to destroy the whole garden of 3,000 harvest bottom plants and 1,500 mid-harvest plants, covering a 100meter size of ground.
“The raid was planned with the support of the surrounding communities and police informant who helps police officers removed the illegal herbs.”
Police urged members of the public to involve in commercial gardening of edible herbs other than planting illegal plants for easy money.
“This plant will continue to destroy our youth with their mental and physical aspect of life.”
The Officer in charge of the Tetere Police Station, Inspector Nickson Manetoga said that since marijuana has many negative impacts on young people and the society, such police operations will not stop for the sake of keeping communities and people safe.
“Police will not tolerate planting of marijuana and will continue to work with our community leaders and public to make sure, these plants do not reach our youths living around the Guadalcanal plains and other parts of Honiara.
“Following information gathered for this operation, we have noted that there is public marketing of these herbs going around in the villages to town and through to the provinces, which lead us back to where we have uprooted these marijuana plants today,” OIC Manetoga said.
“Police will not stop tracking down those involved in such destructive trade to our people and whoever in the past has evaded police drug operations.
“We will come after you. The public must understand that anyone found selling, harbouring or assisting these drug traders can be prosecuted.”
The general public around Honiara are urged to report to police of anyone who may involve in such drug trade and contact police on phone: 23666 or 34508.
– Police Media
