Dwarf helicopter sniffs out cannabis plantations
Published: Tuesday 28 April 2009 11:29 UTC
Last updated: Tuesday 28 April 2009 12:20 UTC
Police in the northeastern Achterhoek region have begun using an unmanned miniature helicopter to track down the illegal cultivation of cannabis, which often takes place indoors. The so-called "canna-chopper" is fitted with cameras and a sniffer to take air samples out of ventilator shafts and chimneys. A dedicated gas analyser is able to recognise traces of weed smell in the air samples. Police say they are not breaking the law because the samples can be taken without entering the building. The unmanned dwarf helicopter can stay airborne for a maximum of eight hours. It was designed and built by Dutch police engineers.
Police spokesman Anton de Ronde told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that the first flight on Tuesday morning had already led to the discovery of a cannabis drying shed and a plant cutting facility.
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