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? Area: FidoNet - Marijuana Chat ?????????????????????????????????????????????
  Msg#: 1683                                         Date: 06-09-93  17:00
  From: Northcoast OH NORML                          Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: DEA Surveillance Tactics
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
                         ***************************
                          Another Oregon NORML file
                             "Escaping the DEA"
                                 Version One
                         ***************************

        It is our mission at Oregon NORML to reform marijuana laws, not break
them. It would be out of our pristine moral bounds to produce a file explaining
how to circumvent law enforcement.

        I have something better.

        The following file is taken verbatim from Vol. 11 "Best of" High Times
magazine. The file (and their article) is an excerpt from The Pennsylvania
Crime Commission's 1991 Annual Report on Drug use.

        Growing cannabis indoors is becoming more popular. This type of
cultivation has traditionally been more common on the West Coast than in the
East. The followingn is a list of indicators and investigative techniques,
adapted from a list compiled by S/A Charles Stowell, DEA Sacramento, CA, and
Detective Rob Ringsage, Oregon State Police, and other material distributed at
the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Conference in Nashville,
TN, in February 1991.

                    EQUIPMENT USED IN CANNABIS CULTIVATION

Lighting
~~~~~~~~


	
1000 or 400 watt metal halides or high pressure sodium bulbs

	
Ballasts for the above bulbs

	
"Sun circles," "Whirligigs" or runners to move lights 

	
Chain systems to raise and lower lights

	
Metallic or white dome-type lamp shades

	
Various brands, lengths and styles of grow lights

	
Mylar or white plastic

	
Light meters and ampmeters to measure lamp output and ballast amperage

	
Auto and manual timers

	
Generators of various sizes and outputs

	
Alligator clamps and leads to assist in electrical bypass



Grow-Room equipment (other than lighting equipment)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	
Hydroponics setup in 5-gallon buckets

	
Drip-irrigation systems, including PVC pipe, pumps, float valves, 55-gallon


  polydrums, etc

	
Growing mediums, such as lava rock or potting soil

	
Insecticides, electric soil sterilizer, natural predators, such as ladybugs

	
CO2 Injection system with valves, regulators, air filters, dehumidifyers

	
Air-conditioning units, exhaust fans, oscillating fans



Clone or nursery-room equipment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	
Pruning shears

	
Cloning trays

	
Rootone or hormonal solutions to stimulate plant growth

	
Tubular grow lights or Phototrons

	
Water-bed heaters

	
Seed sources



                                  INDICATORS
                                  ~~~~~~~~~~


	
Suspect appears on the DEA Green Merchant list

	
Suspect is a member of the Hydroponic Society of America, PO box 6067,


  Concord, CA 94524

	
Suspect receives frequent calls from known marijuana growers or distributors

	
Suspect's phone tolls reveal contact with outlets that sell equipment


  related to marijauana growing, IE Dansco or Hamilton

	
Suspect uses a business front for money laundering

	
Suspect buys property and places someone else in it, or "straw purchase"

	
Suspect has a lease with an option to buy, or has no credit but makes large


  cash payments

	
Suspect buys a ranch or farm, but does not operate it in a norm matter

	
Neighbors indicate that the ranch is supporting more people than normal


c1* Suspect has guard dogs, such as rottweilers, pit bulls, Doberman
pinschers,
  or German Shepherds

	
Suspect is unfriendly and acts paranoid toward neighbors and others, e.g.


  public utilities, telephone service, or power service

	
Suspect has large outbuildings on the property that are kept closed, i.e.


  barns, sheds, excavations, etc.

	
Windows that would normally be open are always covered

	
Outbuildings have swamp coolers or air conditioners

	
Excessive water usage, or water lines or electrical cords running to


  basement or outbuildings

	
Unusual number of roof vents, exhaust-fan, ballast noise or windows sweating


  in outbuildings or house

	
Meter seals broken or tampered with, or access to meter denied

	
Backline feed


c1* Potting soil present around outbuildings and flower beds

	
Lava rock or other hydroponic medium scattered around outbuildings

	
Suspect uses outside contractors to construct buildings

	
Suspect request that underground power lines going into newly constructed


  building be left uncovered

	
Property posted for no trespassing, or presence of security gates and alarm


  systems

	
Eratic or sudden increase/decrease in power consumption

	
Delivery of large amounts of propane, diesel, or wood

	
Suspect purchases a power generator

	
U-Haul or delivery trucks arriving late at night

	
Suspect tells conflicting stories aobut how he earns his money, claiming it


  is from inheritance, lottery, etc

	
Suspect frequently observed using pay phone

	
Suspect has a portable or car phone

	
Suspect has a beeper

	
Suspect goes on unexplained trips

	
Suspect deals in cash, and request receipts made out to "cash"

	
Suspect avoids leaving paper trail

	
Suspect buys a large amount of Baggies, Seal-a-Meal, or other packing


  materials

	
Increased activity at the suspects location every 45-90 days

	
Suspect purchases a large quantity of 3 and 5 gallon buckets or PVC pipe,


  fans, vents, pumps, mylar, etc

	
Companies delivering potting soil and fertilizers to any location other than


  site where soil is to be used

	
Suspect owns only a few items of furniture

	
Suspect indicates taht he is self-employed on rental applications

	
Suspect rents or leases property, such as a single-family home with attached


  garage, or a single-family ranch/home with attached garage, or outbuildings

	
Houses rented under an assumed name

	
Boxes, bags, or suitcases often carried in or out of residence

	
Suspect may leave a PO box or paper telephone number as contact point

	
Presence of packaging material from 400 to 1000 watt metal halide or high


  pressure sodium bulbs

                      POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES
                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	
Obtain phone tolls of businesses that sell marijuana-growing equip.

	
Obtain suspect's power bills for the last 6 months to a year

	
Obtain suspect's water bills for the last 6 months to a year

	
Surveil outlets that sell marijuana growing equipment

	
Educate utilty companies and establish contact person within the company

	
Check with companies that sell sea-freight containers, semitrailers, vans,


  55 gallon poly drums or 3 and 5 gallon plastic buckets

	
Check with companies that sell generators, propane, diesel, or wood

	
Check with hardware stores for large purchase of fans, dehumidifier pruning


  shears, etc.

	
Check with nurseries for sales of potting soil and fertilizers

	
Consider thermal imager or FLIR surveillance to confirm the presence of


  "grow lights" and active vents


SOURCES: "Profiles of Indoor Cannabis Growers", Drug Enforcement
Administration, compiled by DEA S/A Charles A. Stowell, and detective Rob
Ringsage, Oregon State Police.

cd
               Help Fight Back - Support Your Local N.O.R.M.L.!

                          Northcoast Ohio N.O.R.M.L.

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