Dallas police and federal drug agents cleared out several fields of marijuana this morning, uprooting about 4,100 plants near an apartment complex in southern Dallas.
No one was arrested, and police said they didn't know who owned the plants.
Rick Watson, a deputy Dallas police chief, said the plants -- on five wooded plots near an apartment complex in the 4100 block of West Ledbetter Drive -- were spotted by a police helicopter late Tuesday afternoon.
Early this morning, Dallas detectives and agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration went in and uprooted the plants. The authorities used machetes to cut through heavy vegetation that surrounded the well-cultivated fields.
Jeff Stamm, a DEA agent, said the five parcels where the marijuana was found ranged in size from a quarter acre to about 2 1/2 acres.
The plants, he said, were 3 feet to 5 ½ feet tall.
"Past practices have indicated that one plant yields about one pound," Stamm said.
A pound of marijuana in Dallas can sell for $500, he said.
The fields are on vacant land that is for sale.
Authorities believe that the property owner, whom they declined to identify, had no involvement in the crime.
"He purchased it quite recently as an investment property and hadn't even walked the land yet," Stamm said.
He said the plants were well cared for. There were indications that fertilizer had been applied to the fields, and a generator was being used to pump water for the plants from a nearby creek.
"We saw signs of a very sophisticated irrigation system," he said.
Authorities said it did not appear that any of the marijuana had been harvested.
Watering cans and hoses were found in the fields, as were small foam cups of the type that might be used to raise seedlings.
"We do not know who it [the marijuana] belongs to," Watson said. "We would love for anyone to come forward and give us information to make an arrest, but right now, we don't have any leads."
Those with information about the case can call the Dallas Police Department's southwest patrol division at 214-670-7464.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Author: TARYN LUNA
Copyright: 2010 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
No one was arrested, and police said they didn't know who owned the plants.
Rick Watson, a deputy Dallas police chief, said the plants -- on five wooded plots near an apartment complex in the 4100 block of West Ledbetter Drive -- were spotted by a police helicopter late Tuesday afternoon.
Early this morning, Dallas detectives and agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration went in and uprooted the plants. The authorities used machetes to cut through heavy vegetation that surrounded the well-cultivated fields.
Jeff Stamm, a DEA agent, said the five parcels where the marijuana was found ranged in size from a quarter acre to about 2 1/2 acres.
The plants, he said, were 3 feet to 5 ½ feet tall.
"Past practices have indicated that one plant yields about one pound," Stamm said.
A pound of marijuana in Dallas can sell for $500, he said.
The fields are on vacant land that is for sale.
Authorities believe that the property owner, whom they declined to identify, had no involvement in the crime.
"He purchased it quite recently as an investment property and hadn't even walked the land yet," Stamm said.
He said the plants were well cared for. There were indications that fertilizer had been applied to the fields, and a generator was being used to pump water for the plants from a nearby creek.
"We saw signs of a very sophisticated irrigation system," he said.
Authorities said it did not appear that any of the marijuana had been harvested.
Watering cans and hoses were found in the fields, as were small foam cups of the type that might be used to raise seedlings.
"We do not know who it [the marijuana] belongs to," Watson said. "We would love for anyone to come forward and give us information to make an arrest, but right now, we don't have any leads."
Those with information about the case can call the Dallas Police Department's southwest patrol division at 214-670-7464.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Author: TARYN LUNA
Copyright: 2010 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
