by Jolene Toves

Guam - The Guam Police Department is remaining quiet regarding a marijuana bust that occurred in Astumbo Gardens last week. GPD spokesperson Art Paulino said, "Relative to the Astumbo Gardens where several marijuana plants were confiscated the case is still ongoing it has been routed to the Special Enforcement Section Investigations Bureau."

As we reported on Friday Superior Court probation officers were executing an order to pick up a minor from the residence. While they did not find the minor, probation officers did stumble upon six marijuana plants ranging from 2 feet or more in height in plain view at the rear of the residence. The discovery led probation to contact the Guam Police Department. Upon arrival GPD found 4 additional marijuana plants in what appeared to be a garden shed. GPD would not confirm who owns the house.

"There is a person of interest that was taken into custody and we are determining the owner of the residence and the Guam Police Department needs to determine did the owner of the residence reside at the residence and if not how often they frequent the residence," he said. "We are trying to determine if there is culpability on the residence owner as far as knowing that the marijuana cultivation was ongoing on his or her property so this case is still ongoing still being investigated."

Still trying to unravel who owns the home. GPD would not confirm if a GPD officer assigned to Executive Security is linked to the house and would only share that two people of interest have been identified. Paulino said, "I cannot confirm at this time I can tell you that there is other persons that have been identified and have been interviewed and need to be re-interviewed and others that need to be interviewed as well."

Paulino does confirm however that a person has claimed responsibility for the marijuana plants but that information is being corroborated by detectives and upon completion of the case will route the information to the Attorney General's Office.

It was just last week GPD - in its own words - said that in the interest of transparency it is releasing the name of an off duty officer involved in an auto pedestrian incident in Harmon. There's no word on why GPD isn't being as transparent in this particular instance allegedly involving an officer assigned to Executive Security. "If there is an officer that was involved and had some knowledge that information will be routed over to the internal affairs unit and yes an investigation will take place that is if in fact an officer was culpable in this case and we are not confirming that," Paulino said.