[Sativa]

A original report of 200 marijuana plants quickly escalated to an eventual total of 1,968 as law enforcement officers from several different agencies converged on a site discovered from a Georgia State Patrol helicopter during the annual drug sweep of Twiggs County.

According to Twiggs County Sheriff Darren Mitchum, 1,968 marijuana plants were removed from about six different plots in a small area just off Marion Ripley Road near Interstate 16.

Originally, the marijuana was spotted from the air during the yearly sweep of the county and as deputies investigated the area with the GSP helicopter pilots guiding them. What was originally thought to be about 200 plants quickly escalated as several more plots were found in the ground/air search.

The plots were well-tended and set up with an irrigation system of sorts and plant sizes ranged from six or seven inches tall to approximately 10 feet tall. Law enforcement sources at the scene gave a figure that they said the Drug Enforcement Agency uses to value mature marijuana plants of $2,000 per plant. With that figure the bust took approximately $4 million worth of marijuana off the streets in Twiggs County.

Mitchum said that he would like to thank the GSP, DEA agents, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Rangers, along with all the on and off-duty Twiggs deputies at the scene, for helping with the operation, which began at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and wrapped up as the sun was going down for the day.

Mitchum said there are no concrete suspects in this case as of yet, but there were leads that his investigative division would be following up on in hopes of making an arrest in the near future. Until then, he said, the investigation will be ongoing.

The marijuana had to be locked in a storage facility in Bibb County Tuesday night until crime lab technicians could come in and video and test the plants and then weigh out 50 pounds of the sticky stash, which is the amount needed to prosecute someone on trafficking charges. After the process is completed, Mitchum said the remainder will be destroyed.



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Author: JASON HOBBS
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