Seized Laurel Springs pot patch valued at $96,000
By COBY LaRUEStaff
Several members of the Alleghany County Sheriff's Department seized about 40 marijuana plants in the Laurel Springs area of the county last Wednesday morning.
The plants were found in a wooded area near N.C. 18 south, not far from the Ashe County line.
The plants' street value was estimated by the State Bureau of Investigation at $96,000.
"This is one of the larger patches that we've seen recently," Sheriff Mike Caudill said. "Most of the marijuana we've found consist of one or two plants growing separately.
"We feel that the purpose of that is to avoid detection from aircraft," he said. "They had this particular patch in a hidden location, but we were still able to locate it."
Capt. Carlton Edwards and Det. Ricky Lyall, who are heading up the investigation, said the sheriff's department has some leads as to the ownership of the plants. They declined to elaborate further.
"All I can say right now is that the investigation is continuing and no arrests have been made at this time," Lyall said, noting that charges may follow later.
"We received information that some marijuana plants were growing near the intersection of N.C. 18 and N.C. 113 in the Laurel Springs community,"
A sampling of the marijuana plants found in Laurel Springs is displayed
by Sheriff Mike Caudill. Some of the plants were as large as five to
seven feet tall.