50,000 plant bust in Tennessee

[BigDawg]

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Obion-County-marijuana-operation-uncovered-131600778.html

Large marijuana operation uncovered in Obion County

Over 50,000 plants, one thousand pounds already cured

Reporter - Lauren Adams
Photojournalist - David Dycus
Web Editor - Jay Marchmon


Story Created: Oct 12, 2011 at 11:29 AM CDT
Story Updated: Oct 13, 2011 at 7:09 AM CDT

OBION COUNTY, Tenn. — A tip from a concerned citizen uncovered one of the biggest pot operations in Tennessee Tuesday.
The Obion County Sheriff's Department recently received a tip about a marijuana grow operation in the rural part of the county not far from Reelfoot Lake. Deputies climbed into the area Monday evening and found a portion of the operation, but couldn't gather a lot of evidence before nightfall.
They contacted the state eradication unit, and went back out to the site Tuesday with three helicopters, Highway Patrol, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, and more deputies.
Once back in the site, they discovered a well-organized and extensive grow operation. People had been living in the woods with the plants, and had created man-made water reservoirs, irrigation systems, and tobacco barn-like structures for curing. People had also dug tunnels for storage and movement, caves to house and conceal sound from generators, and trimmed the surrounding trees to get more sunlight to the developing plants.
Obion County Sheriff Jerry Vastbinder tells Local 6 it's "definitely one of the biggest--if not the biggest--in the state."
Law enforcement agents found over a thousand pounds of marijuana already cured and neatly trimmed, and over 50,000 plants in various stages.
No arrests have been made yet, but TBI is processing a mountain of evidence from the scene, and arrests are expected.
Sheriff Vastbinder says the department conducts regular helicopter sweeps, and didn't notice anything in last year's pass. He states while it's hard to say if this has been going on for more than this season, someone put a lot of work into this operation.

 

[gopot]

figures.economy in the tank and they try to impede commerece

 

[jd4083]

Yup, sounds like my neighbors to the west alright too bad, them boys work hard for that...

 

[kaotic]

Yep we do it big here. And that is not the largest, at all. There was a 350,000 plant bust a couple years ago.

 

[manpan]

oh well. time to plant more.

 

[Bob-Zilla]

That's quite a few tons of mid-grade product the SE region won't be seeing this year......

 

[castout]

Damn, I hate reading about busts....all that work the growers put into it, let alone the money, and then they lose it all right at the end.....that hurts me, and my heart goes out to the growers.

 

[OLDproLg]

A tip hah?

Someone ratted,big jelousy=bust.
Figures the pigs work is always easy.

 

[takkada]

crazy hillbillys.

 

[hashcraver]

Legalize it and have those officers go after murders and rapist with all the money they are spending on 3 helicopters and they only know how many others on the ground getting overtime and more for what, a plant?

 

[Midnight]

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[Siomha]

crazy hillbillys.

nice plants you got here

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

Re: 50,000 plant bust in Tennessee

Too bad sounds awesome

 

[sense of nature]

Legalize it and have those officers go after murders and rapist with all the money they are spending on 3 helicopters and they only know how many others on the ground getting overtime and more for what, a plant?

That would make too much "sense"

 

[BrnCow]

Should have moved the cured product off premises as soon as it was done. Then they would have a half mil worth for lawyers and defense...got too comfortable and lazy...