Cherokee makes biggest pot bust in county history
By YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/29/08
What's one marijuana plant worth?
The answer is: $1,200.
(ENLARGE)
The seized marijuana plants.
• Cherokee County news
That is the street value of the pot harvested from one plant that is allowed to grow to its full height, authorities say.
So the 9,350 marijuana plants pulled from the deep woods in Cherokee County equal a whole lot of cash.
The knee-high plants were seized Wednesday in a joint local and federal operation, making it the largest seizure of marijuana plants in the county's history, said Sgt. Jay Baker, a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
The plants were growing among the pine trees in the Waleska area on property leased by the Shoal Creek Hunting Club, Baker said.
No suspects have been arrested, Baker said. Police are still looking for the marijuana growers.
The two marijuana fields appear to have been used for some time.
No one connected with the club, which leases about 4,000 acres in the remote area, is suspected in the marijuana operation.
Whoever planted the fields also installed an irrigation system, which was connected to a creek, Baker said. Investigators also found tents and food debris in the area, evidence that someone was keeping an eye on the plants.
A tip to the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad (CMANS) in April kicked off the investigation. The plants were just a few inches tall when investigators found them.
By the time the 30 agents from the narcotics squad, the Cherokee County SWAT team, K-9 Unit and the Department of Defense Drug Task Force decided to go in and rip them out, the plants were six to 12 inches high.
A marijuana plant in the wild can grow to at least 10 feet in height, he said. The street value of the plant was set by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Baker said the growers were probably using all-terrain vehicles to bring the seedlings in and to harvest the plants later.
A Must read!!! Article from the Atlanta Journal
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