ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Law enforcement officers took to the air to help eradicate more than $1 million worth of illegal drugs from Belmont County.
Sheriff David Lucas said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification took a deputy “spotter” up in its helicopter Friday to search for illegal marijuana growing operations. The sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit then spent the day Saturday confiscating the more than 2,500 plants that were found.
“Members of the Major Crimes Unit put in a full day on Saturday, working hard under extreme heat conditions to recover the marijuana,” said Lucas who also said those unit members included sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Martins Ferry, Barnesville, St. Clairsville, Shadyside and Powhatan Point police departments.
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Lucas declined to identify the locations where the growing operations were discovered because detectives are still investigating, but he did say that two of the sites represented “serious, major growers.” He said officers cut the plants off at the ground using machetes and then bound them for transport and secure storage. Lucas also said the marijuana is being held by his office to ensure it stays off the streets and for use as evidence should any arrests result from the investigation.
Lucas said the marijuana that was seized has a street value of about $1.25 million.
In addition to the plants, officers also recovered weapons and equipment from one of the sites. Lucas said the location included an irrigation system powered by water pumps and generators. Police seized that equipment along with chain saws and other tools.
Also at that location, Lucas said officers found several firearms and a “large quantity of ammunition.” Police confiscated a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle, a .308 assault rifle, a .357 Magnum revolver and a crossbow. That site was set up like a camp, Lucas said, with a tent and camper on location, along with a vehicle that had been reported stolen from Franklin County, Ohio.
Lucas speculated that the weapons were kept at the grow site “for protection of their crops,” which he said are quite valuable.
“We took over $1 million worth of marijuana off the streets,” Lucas said.
As of Monday, no arrests had been made in connection with the growing operations and no suspects had been named.
Credit: www.timesleaderonline.com