ATHENS, Greece – Police uprooted thousands of cannabis plants on the island of Crete (search) after a tip from police who saw three fields of the crop as they shadowed the Olympic (search) torch relay in a helicopter, authorities said Wednesday.
Officers from a police narcotics unit have destroyed more than 6,500 plants over the past three days, after the weekend discovery.
Crete's mountainous landscape with its deep ravines is favored by cannabis growers, and police raids have increased in recent years after the deployment of police helicopters on the island.
The Olympic flame is on a tour of Greece after returning from a global relay.
Currently touring islands in the Aegean Sea, it will be carried through Greece by about 7,000 runners to 29 cities and six major archaeological areas ahead of the Aug. 13-29 Games.
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