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More marijuana farms busted in southern Utah
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]By Ben Winslow[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Deseret News[/FONT]
Published: August 29, 2008
More marijuana farms have been discovered in central and southern Utah, believed to be part of the largest drug bust in state history.
Iron County Sheriff's deputies are back on the scene of a farm with as many as 5,000 plants in the Little Creek area near Paragonah. Sheriff Mark Gower said it appears to be related to similar pot farm busts in Iron and Washington County that netted upwards of 80,000 plants. Iron County Sheriff's deputies arrested five people connected to one of the farms discovered near Cedar City.
"They're not really talking but evidence gathered through this investigation led us to this," Gower said of the latest find.
In Sevier County, the Central Utah Narcotics Task Force busted up a marijuana farm that was discovered by hunters in the Pickle Keg area of Salina Canyon.
"It was a very big grow," Sevier County Sheriff's detective Nate Curtis said Friday. "It extended clear across the whole hillside."
Curtis told the Deseret News five people were arrested in their bust.
"There's one or two that got away," he said.
Another marijuana field has been discovered in Garfield County, Gower said, but he had no additional information. Calls to a Garfield County Sheriff's spokeswoman were not immediately returned on Friday.
The discovery of so many farms this past week has authorities believing they are part of a larger drug operation.
"As we go through this investigation, I think we'll find they are," said Gower.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said that Mexican mafia-linked marijuana farms are becoming an increasing problem on federal lands in the western United States. Farms have been busted up in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]By Ben Winslow[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Deseret News[/FONT]
Published: August 29, 2008
More marijuana farms have been discovered in central and southern Utah, believed to be part of the largest drug bust in state history.
Iron County Sheriff's deputies are back on the scene of a farm with as many as 5,000 plants in the Little Creek area near Paragonah. Sheriff Mark Gower said it appears to be related to similar pot farm busts in Iron and Washington County that netted upwards of 80,000 plants. Iron County Sheriff's deputies arrested five people connected to one of the farms discovered near Cedar City.
"They're not really talking but evidence gathered through this investigation led us to this," Gower said of the latest find.
In Sevier County, the Central Utah Narcotics Task Force busted up a marijuana farm that was discovered by hunters in the Pickle Keg area of Salina Canyon.
"It was a very big grow," Sevier County Sheriff's detective Nate Curtis said Friday. "It extended clear across the whole hillside."
Curtis told the Deseret News five people were arrested in their bust.
"There's one or two that got away," he said.
Another marijuana field has been discovered in Garfield County, Gower said, but he had no additional information. Calls to a Garfield County Sheriff's spokeswoman were not immediately returned on Friday.
The discovery of so many farms this past week has authorities believing they are part of a larger drug operation.
"As we go through this investigation, I think we'll find they are," said Gower.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said that Mexican mafia-linked marijuana farms are becoming an increasing problem on federal lands in the western United States. Farms have been busted up in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
