Cannabis plant seizures double in five years

Last year, 380,000 cannabis plants were discovered by Belgian police, La Dernière Heure reports today. The number of plantations found almost doubled, from 666 to 1,111 between 2008 and 2012, with the majority of plantations uncovered comprising between 250 and 500 plants. Tongeren, Antwerp, Turnhout, Ghent and Hasselt are among the districts where the most plantations were discovered. “It’s a historical and cultural phenomenon, given that in neighbouring Netherlands they have always cultivated cannabis. Since stricter legislation was passed in the Netherlands, their production has overflowed into Belgium and particularly in Flanders,” said Olivier Lessire, commissioner of the federal police’s central drug unit.