Deputies burn marijuana plants - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Deputies burn marijuana plants

Posted: Updated:

  • More WALB News10 HeadlinesMore News Headlines

  • Tuesday, June 18 2013 7:04 PM EDT2013-06-18 23:04:37 GMT
    Dan McCarthy, AHA Executive Director, stands before city commissioners during Tuesday's Meeting
    An Albany Housing Authority plan to revitalize a central Albany neighborhood gets a stamp of approval from city leaders. Commissioners approved a resolution of support for the plan to transform McIntosh
    An Albany Housing Authority plan to revitalize a central Albany neighborhood gets a stamp of approval from city leaders.  Commissioners approved a resolution of support for the plan to transform McIntosh Homes into a thriving mixed income community called "The Oaks at North Intown".

  • Tuesday, June 18 2013 6:52 PM EDT2013-06-18 22:52:43 GMT
    Flying a model airplane within Albany's city limits could soon be outlawed because of privacy concerns. Tuesday, City Commissioner Roger Marietta proposed an ordinance to ban the aircraft because of
    Flying a model airplane within Albany's city limits could soon be outlawed because of privacy concerns.  Tuesday, City Commissioner Roger Marietta proposed an ordinance to ban the aircraft because of their ability to take photographs from above.

  • Tuesday, June 18 2013 6:43 PM EDT2013-06-18 22:43:40 GMT
    South Georgia law enforcers get specialized training in dealing with domestic violence victims. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence reports the Peach State is tenth in the nation for domestic violence
    Georgia is tenth in the nation in the rate of domestic violence deaths, and the Commission on Family Violence is training law enforcement to help victims.
    •   

By Jade Bulecza - bio | email

Atkinson County, GA (WALB) - 420 pounds of pot went up in smoke Wednesday in Atkinson County. Deputies confiscated 130 marijuana plants a couple of weeks ago after a landowner discovered them growing on his property.

Authorities destroyed the plants which would have been worth about $400,000 if they'd been packaged and sold.

Atkinson County Sheriff David Moore sets ablaze what looks like dead shrubbery. Actually, it's 420 pounds of marijuana.

 "The quality of the marijuana was poor, still young, buds were still small full of seeds. It was not an expert operation by far," said Moore.

The Sheriff's office took a small amount of pot needed for the investigation and took photos. They received permission from the Superior Court of Atkinson County to burn the rest.

 "Friday the 18th we got a call out old Cogdell Highway and Old Fire tower road that a landowner had found marijuana with his bulldozer clearing up his land line," said Moore.

Authorities confiscated the plants and stakes holding up some of them. The plants were stored in a shed at the Atkinson County Road Department.

Most of the plants stood 8 feet tall and others stood as much as 12 feet in height.

A chicken house used to sit in this location several years ago. This provided good growing conditions say authorities.

"There's plenty of fertilizer for one thing. The grounds soft and it makes it easy to plant and where it was located was kind of isolated," said Atkinson Co. Sheriff's investigator Ferrell Howell.

Howell says he's never seen marijuana plants that tall.

"If it was all packaged up and sold it would probably be between $300,000 and $400,000 street value," said Chief Deputy Eugene Paulk.

Authorities are following leads but do not have any serious suspects.  Investigators say the landowner didn't have anything to do with the operation.

The Sheriff says the plants were left to grow on their own and were not tended to daily.

 

©2009 WALB News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  Feedback