VICTORIA Police have turned to satellite technology to hunt green-fingered crooks who grow marijuana in suburban backyards, on farms or on Crown land.

With most outdoor crops maturing over the next four months, police are increasingly relying on Google Earth to identify cannabis crops, which can be worth up to $2500 a plant.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman has confirmed that Google Earth is a tool in the battle against outdoor growers and has helped with several recent investigations.

A senior member of Victoria's drug tasking unit told The Sunday Age the Big Brother technology would be used more when satellite images were updated more frequently.

"The detail is extremely good and allows us to pick up small plots of cannabis virtually anywhere," the source said. "The clarity is improving all the time, and I think it's something we'll probably use more down the track."