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| 08-27-03: Marijuana plants found in
home |
By MARGIE WUEBKER
mwuebker@dailystandard.com
Six marijuana plants, ranging in size from 2 to 3 feet tall, were
seized Tuesday afternoon when members of the Grand Lake Task Force
and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant
at a Recovery Township residence.
The 4:30 p.m. visit to 231 Lowry Road came as a result of information
obtained during a continuing investigation into illegal drug activities.
The name of the male suspect has not been released pending filing
of formal charges relating to the cultivation of marijuana. The
man was not home at the time of the raid.
“It was obvious
from what we found at the scene that the individual was into growing,”
detective Kip Wright said. Authorities described the location
as a “small-grow operation.”
Along with potting soil, foam cups and bamboo sticks used to support
young plants, law enforcement officers collected bags of seeds
labeled according to quality. Also taken as evidence were assorted
drug paraphernalia, unidentified pills and tablets and a purple
velvet bag containing film canisters. One of those canisters reportedly
contained residue that will be tested along with the pills and
tablets at the Ohio Bureau of Investigation & Identification
laboratory in Bowling Green.
The majority of the plants were found on a porch while the others
were located inside the residence near a large window.
Some showed evidence of leaves being clipped, presumably for use.
Wright estimated the mature plants came from seeds sown in March
or April. Both he and fellow detective Pat Elking believe the
plants were stunted somewhat by being moved in and out of the
residence. The street value is pegged at $6,000 to $9,000.
Mercer County Dog Warden Tom Powell accompanied law enforcement
officers to the scene because a large dog is kept there. The animal,
obviously unhappy about the unexpected company, caused no problems.
The incident comes in the wake of a drug surveillance flyover
conducted Friday afternoon by the Task Force in conjunction with
the BCI & I. Sixty-two plants, standing 6 to 8 feet tall,
were uprooted in Union, Blackcreek and Dublin townships in northern
Mercer County. The street value is estimated at between $62,000
and $93,000.
The investigation into illegal drug activity is continuing, although
there have been few arrests in recent months.
“This
is just the calm before the storm for drug traffickers,”
Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey told The Daily Standard this morning.
“We will be indicting more people soon.”
The task force is a cooperative effort of sheriff’s offices
in Mercer and Auglaize counties and police departments in Celina,
Coldwater, Minster and New Bremen. |
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