Police are encouraging Northlanders to use a free tip-off telephone number in a bid to make inroads into the region's flourishing million-dollar drug industry.
It is the first time Northland police have used a toll-free number specifically targeting the drug industry.
The toll-free number - 0800 BAN DRUGS or 0800 226 3784
- has been set up to coincide with the start of the cannabis growing season, and police also hope it will help uncover methamphetamine laboratories.
The rise of the latter - known as "meth" or "speed" labs - in Northland this year has alarmed police, with an average of one per month being discovered in 2001, after none had previously been found.
Northland's rural isolation has been touted as the major attraction for meth producers, and a good meth "cook" has been estimated by police to have the potential to turnover $1 million annually.
Detective Constable Jack Dudley, of the Northland police drug squad, said there would shortly be an increase in "drug-related activity" as growers prepared to plant cannabis seedlings outdoors.
A significant number of cannabis was still planted outside, despite the cultivation of cannabis indoors being a growing business in Northland, Mr Dudley said.
Mr Dudley said indoor growing environments had become popular as plants were not at risk from predators, rainfall or aerial spraying which police introduced three years ago.
However, police still expected to seize about 17,500 cannabis plants from outdoor operations.
Northlanders who witnessed suspicious activity were encouraged to use the toll-free number to leave information - anonymously if they wished - for police.
People should call the line no matter how insignificant they thought their information was.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
