Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jul 2008
Source: Daily Record, The (Dunn, NC)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Record
Contact:  http://www.mydailyrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1762
Author: Reece Murphy

ANOTHER BIG POT FIELD FOUND

The Harnett County Sheriff's Office has busted another marijuana 
growing operation.

The marijuana field, with an estimated 5,000 plants, was found on 
Cool Springs Road off U.S. 421 west of Lillington within three miles 
of a 50,000-plant grow operation discovered last month, also on Cool 
Springs Road.

According to standard estimates of $2,400 each, the plants have a 
potential street value of $12 million.

Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said his deputies had been 
working the case for a considerable time, but would not specify how long.

"This has been an ongoing investigation," Sheriff Rollins said. 
"We've had it under observation for quite some time.

"We found campsites, we saw where they've been living in there with 
food and water and tents," he said. "Unfortunately, we haven't had 
anybody come in (the field)."

Sheriff Rollins said the field was discovered shortly after the 
larger bust, this time by Aerial Reconnaissance Inc., a private 
company out of the Charlotte area.

Though his office routinely utilizes Highway Patrol and National 
Guard helicopters to search for marijuana fields, Sheriff Rollins 
said they are not available nearly often enough.

The Charlotte company was able to cover the entire county for $3,000.

"I was concerned as to whether we had any more operations because 
we've got so many rural and desolate areas still in Harnett County," 
Sheriff Rollins said. "That's why I decided it would be worth our 
efforts to get this private firm in here to do our entire county."

Sheriff Rollins said it is possible this operation is connected to 
the earlier bust.

"It's very similar to that other operation. It could even be some of 
the same people," he said. "Again, it appears to be the Mexican-type 
operation. We found bags and bags of tortillas at this one and other 
items that suggests that."

While his men had staked out the area in an attempt to arrest the 
operators, Sheriff Rollins said the fact that no one came into the 
field is not surprising.

A 40-year veteran narcotics deputy, Sheriff Rollins said more often 
than not, operators go uncaught.

The investigation, he said could have been compromised in any number 
of ways, from the operators noticing the aerial reconnaissance to 
small traps set up that indicate someone has been that way.

"It's as simple as taking a piece of thread and tying it across a 
path .. fallen twigs can be set," Sheriff Rollins said. "There's a 
lot of methods, a lot of ways and you'll never know yourself that 
you've set them off sometimes.

"The main point on this one is I want the public to know the fact 
that we have put a concerted effort in attempting to apprehend these 
guys," he said.

The sheriff said the plants would be destroyed today; he did not elaborate.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart