Swiss Police Used Google Earth to Find Illegal Marijuana Plantations

Posted by Queuebot in Blog & Internet, Crime & Law on January 30, 2009 at 2:59 am


While using Google Earth, Swiss police discovered that not all green masses on their screen are trees and jungles. In fact, they discovered a huge  marijuana plantation hidden inside a corn field!

I don't know what I'm more suprised with: the weed farm or the police using rudimentary software available to any internet user to crack the case.

Officers discovered the hemp field in the northeastern canton (state) of Thurgau last year while investigating an alleged drug ring, said the head of Zurich police's specialist narcotics unit Norbert Klossner.

The plantation, measuring almost two acres (7,500 square meters), was hidden inside a field of corn. But officers using Google Earth to locate the address of two farmers suspected of involvement in the drug operation quickly spotted the illegal crop.

"It was an interesting chance discovery," said Klossner.

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From the Upcoming Queue, submitted by sisyphus33.


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7 comments to "Swiss Police Used Google Earth to Find Illegal Marijuana Plantations"

  1. Gail Pink
    January 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am

    What a shame.

  2. Scotchdrnkr
    January 30th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    If I understand this story correctly. The police didn't accidentally come across the field of pot. They were looking for the suspects field by checking out areas they knew the suspects owned. Then saw the differences in the plants. Corn & pot look nothing alike from the air. They would have been better off alternating the pot and the corn every so many feet.

  3. Tweeker
    January 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am

    We'll be seeing more "accidentally" discovered crops the next time x agency needs to cover an informant Im sure.

  4. FIG
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    Hemp is not marijuana and vice versa

  5. Skipweasel
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    About fifteen years ago I stopped near Maidstone in Kent to pick some strawberries for a visit to Mum. The long walk from the car park was past a field with cannabis growing in it. I asked the woman at the field and she said that surprisingly few people noticed what it was, but that it was a very low THC variety being grown for specialist ropemaking. Needed a special licence, too.

  6. Bikebreath
    January 30th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    On Google Earth the building I have worked in for one year next month is STILL the parking lot that was here 4 years ago before construction started. That pot has either been replanted again and again and again, or the story is bogus.

  7. Ali S.
    February 1st, 2009 at 3:07 am

    *sniff* Bad luck. :(


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