[420 Girl]

Richmond County Sheriff Douglas A. Bryant announced today the discovery and destruction of 14,477 marijuana plants worth nearly $44 million.

Bryant said a tip Wednesday led authorities to a pot patch in the woods off China Hill Road near Montross where they found 6,138 plants with an estimated street value of $19 million.

The next day, authorities arrested Jamie Ramirez–Duarte, 23, an illegal immigrant, Bryant said. Another Hispanic man fled and has not been caught, the sheriff said. Bryant said the two men lived in a tent at the site while they tended the plants. Ramirez–Duarte told police that a Mexican drug cartel threatened to kill his family if he did not take good care of the plants, Bryant said.

On Saturday, the crew of a National Guard aircraft spotted another pot patch in the woods off Conley Pond Road near Farnham, Bryant said. No suspects were found on the property.

Police found 8,239 plants at the Farnham site worth nearly $25 million. He said the plants at both sites were buried in a large hole.

Bryant said the two pot operations were the largest found in Virginia this year.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: fredericksburg.com
Author: FRANK DELANO
Copyright: 2010 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co.
Contact: localnews@freelancestar.com
Website: Drug raids bring one arrest, $44 million in marijuana


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