Deputies Seize Pot Worth $150K

MORGANTON, N.C.,None — Deputies seized 63 pot plants Wednesday as part of a marijuana eradication effort, officials say.

Deputies found plants ranging between 3 and 6 feet tall across five lots in eastern Burke County, according to Sgt. Rick Hasson, Burke County Narcotics Task Force.

Investigators have enough evidence to charge one with manufacturing marijuana for one of the sites, Hasson said, and deputies are still investigating the other four sites.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol and the Air National Guard provided three helicopters for the joint operation, with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation aiding the Burke County Sheriff's Office and the task force in scouring the county for fields of the illicit plant.

"(Marijuana) is very easy to spot from the air," Hasson said.

Wednesday's haul, which Hasson estimates would be worth $151,200 if mature, involved plants that were "well taken care of."

The sergeant says he was surprised at how well developed the plants were since it is still early in the pot growing season.

"I think we are going to see more and bigger plants this year," Hasson said.

He expects a noticeable increase is marijuana crops this year because of the economy.

"No one can afford to buy," he explained, so regular users are growing their own.

Those caught growing face stiffer penalties than simple possession charges as manufacturing raises the crime to a felony.

Marijuana is always illegal in North Carolina. There is no legally accepted level and the state does not allow for medicinal uses of the drug.

This is the first of several such raids planned for this marijuana growing season, Hasson said.

Hasson encourages anyone who knows where marijuana is grown to call the Burke county Narcotics Task Force at 430-4221 or contact the Burke County Sheriff's Office at 438-5500. All drug tips are confidential.

WSOC