The RCMP say the harvest of outdoor marijuana crops in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley is well under way but police have difficulty finding the crops. The RCMP say the harvest of outdoor marijuana crops in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley is well under way but police have difficulty finding the crops. (CBC)

The harvest of outdoor marijuana crops in the Okanagan Valley is well under way but police have difficulty making busts because of the vastness of B.C.'s wilderness, RCMP said Thursday.

Kelowna RCMP destroyed more than 6,000 pot plants deep in one of the forests in the Joe Rich area this month after receiving a tip, Staff Sgt. Duncan Dixon said.

"They are not mom and pop operations any more. These are gigantic, commercial operations," he told CBC News.

Kelowna RCMP Staff Sgt. Duncan Dixon says it's time-consuming to bust outdoor marijuana operations.Kelowna RCMP Staff Sgt. Duncan Dixon says it's time-consuming to bust outdoor marijuana operations. (CBC)

The operation in the Joe Rich area was highly organized and police believe there are likely more out there, Dixon said.

Dixon admits police are eager to conduct outdoor busts before the marijuana crops are cut and sold, but the crops are simply hard to find.

"At this time of year, you're obviously looking for that because this is when it happens," he said.

Paul DeFelice, a co-owner of Holy Smoke Culture Shop in the Kootneys, said he has heard that more operators are growing marijuana outdoors and deep in the forest even though there's only one crop a year.

Paul DeFelice of the Holy Smoke Culture Shop in the Kootneys, says police seem to crack down on indoor grow-ops for convenience.Paul DeFelice of the Holy Smoke Culture Shop in the Kootneys, says police seem to crack down on indoor grow-ops for convenience. (CBC)

"The serious people are going back there and accessing it by ATVs [all-terrain vehicles]. I've heard small aircraft [also being used]," DeFelice said.

DeFelice said police seemed to have targeted indoor grow-ops more frequently out of convenience.

"Police typically have a big stack of tips from people so they know exactly where the pot is," he said. People will be telling them they've seen it [and] they've bought it. Police know where to go and who to get so they don't need to waste time doing surveillance."

Dixon said the outdoor crops receive less police attention because "those are time-consuming."

"They're difficult and there's lots of them," Dixon said. "You'd have to make a higher commitment to make an impact."

With files from Bonnie Allen