Pot Worth Millions Found In Corn Field

[User]

A verdant 100-acre cornfield near Planada containing more than 20,000 marijuana plants was discovered by investigators with the Merced Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force on Friday — the largest pot bust to the agency's credit this year.

Bruce Mosqueda, the task force's acting commander, said investigators took about 12,000 plants from the site of the operation on Friday — and as many as 12,000 more plants are still believed to be inside of the cornfield.

With a street value of $4,000 per plant, investigators believe the total value of the bust could reach $96 million. The remaining plants inside of the cornfield will be removed today, Mosqueda said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is still ongoing, Mosqueda said, adding that the operation is one of the most sophisticated that he's seen. He said irrigation drip-lines ran through the field to the marijuana plants, which were strategically positioned beside each corn stalk.

The operation was probably labor intensive, Mosqueda said, requiring the efforts of several individuals. Judging from the size of the plants, he estimated that the operation began sometime in April.

He said the operation is evidence that marijuana growers are becoming better at keeping their illegal crop hidden.

"The plants were so well hidden that even if you had a helicopter fly over, you wouldn't be able to see them," Mosqueda said.

Task force investigators found the plants around 10 a.m. after acting on a tip. They were assisted by officers from the county's Methamphetamine Enforcement Tracking Team (CMET), Merced Police's Gang Violence Suppression Unit and the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators asked the Sun-Star not to publish the specific location of the operation until all of the marijuana plants have been removed from the cornfield. Until then, Mosqueda said the cornfield will be intensely guarded.

"There's still more out here," Mosqueda said.

Other than Friday's pot bust, 17,000 marijuana plants have been discarded in Merced County this year, Mosqueda said.

About 8,000 plants were discovered off Turlock Road near Snelling about two weeks ago. The task force also discovered about 1,500 young marijuana plants hiding in a Le Grand cornfield on July 10.



News Hawk- User http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: The Merced Sun-Star
Author: Victor A. Patton
Contact: vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
Copyright: 2007 The Merced Sun-Star
Website: mercedsunstar.com :: Pot worth millions found in cornfield

[ChezNoff]

$4,000 a plant? They're kidding right...

[Bud420Man]

Originally Posted by ChezNoff

$4,000 a plant? They're kidding right...

Seriously... If that was average bud what would that make the yield? Like 2 pounds per plant...

[ChezNoff]

Originally Posted by Bud420Man

Seriously... If that was average bud what would that make the yield? Like 2 pounds per plant...

More then that man, I've found some pretty good bud here for around $400 a pound.

[smokindadro]

damn man sucks to be the people who did all that work........keep smokin and keep it high

[Herb Fellow]

Sad day . . . I hope they don't find the farmers.

[User]

i lived near these places before. if you lived in planada or le grand you would wish you were high.

[Jmartz9]

Hard to imagine that somewhere out there theres a plantation that only a few people know about.

[Herb Fellow]

Originally Posted by ChezNoff

More then that man, I've found some pretty good bud here for around $400 a pound.

$400 a pound! That is an excellent price. Brick full of seeds is selling for $100 an once.

[GoodGrnMeds]

Sorry, $400.00 per LB sounds like back-yard boogie(Stress/headache weed)! The going rate is $3200.00 - $4500.00 depending on where you are in Cali. So Cops would be correct with there est. Besides it's easy to yield a pound plus per plant out doors. $400.00 per pound!, please share pics of this great deal....

[zyph]

crazy... That is quite a few plants to plant and get setup, and the irrigation.. wow.. Labor intensive? I'd say so..

[medMUser]

"Acting on a tip". The underground grower in another story had the same problem.

Reminds me a bit of the movie Homegrown with Billy Bob Thorton. (Hope I spelled his name right.)

Too bad the cops can't concentrate on some real crime for a change. They go after MJ growers because most are peaceful & won't shoot at them. (That is, the regular person growing for meds or fun who is not out to get rich or famous. The famous part is deadly... We know the drug cartel types are dangerous, the cops usually don't know who is which. Another reason to RE legalize!)

mM