Mississippi agents seize more than 20,000 cannabis plants in Jefferson Davis County
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents with the National Guard counterdrug program seized more than 20,000 marijuana plants from six fields off Polk Oatis Road in Jefferson Davis County on 17 to 18 August 2017. Officials valued the crop at more than 23 million dollars and called it the state's largest grow in 35 to 40 years.
🇺🇸 Polk Oatis Road area, Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi · Mississippi, United States
Plants destroyed
20,000
Agencies
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi National Guard
Acting on a tip on 17 August 2017, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics asked the Mississippi National Guard counterdrug team to fly aerial reconnaissance near Polk Oatis Road in Jefferson Davis County.[1]The flights found six fields covering four to six acres, fitted out with irrigation, living-quarter tents and plant processing areas.[1]Bureau director John Dowdy called it the biggest marijuana grow operation the state had seen in probably 35 to 40 years.[1][2]
Agents collected more than 15,000 plants on Thursday and found another 5,000 on Friday, taking the haul past 20,000 plants.[2]The later National Guard account put the seizure at more than 20,000 plants with a street value exceeding 23 million dollars.[1]Dowdy said a mature plant could yield about a pound of processed marijuana selling for 1,000 to 1,500 dollars on the street.[2]
State and local agencies assisting the bureau included its helicopter pilots and crew, the Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Investigation, wildlife and forestry officers, the Transportation Department, the Jefferson Davis County sheriff’s department and the Prentiss police.[2]Neither account reported any arrests.[1][2]
Photos and video
Aerial view of one of the six marijuana fields located through the tip to the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics on 17 August 2017Photo details
WDAMwdam.comUPDATE: 20,000 marijuana plants recovered, street value tops $20 million
Open questions the AI reported
No arrests, names or charges were reported in either account.
WDAM's 18 August account put the running total past 20,000 plants worth more than 20 million dollars, while the later National Guard account gives more than 20,000 plants worth more than 23 million dollars, and this report uses the later final figure.
The reports give the size as six fields covering four to six acres but no hectare figure, so none is recorded.
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Arrested 14Plants destroyed 108,226Cannabis 25.0873 t
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