Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 26, 1995 TAG: 9508280151
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
A day-long sweep using three helicopters found the plants in several areas - near Walton, Christiansburg and Peppers Ferry Road and in the vicinity of Gulberg Estates off Virginia 8, Capt. O.P. Ramsey said.
Members of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Virginia State Police and the National Guard participated.
The plants were destroyed Friday at the Montgomery County landfill.
Ramsey said it is difficult to prosecute cases where marijuana is found growing unless officers have observed persons cultivating or harvesting the plants.
"You've got to catch them in the patch before you can charge them with it," he said.
"People find remote areas ... get in an out-of-the-way place and the landowner never knows that it's there," Ramsey said. "Most of the time, the person doing the growing is not the owner of the property."
State police said officers had seized about 3,000 plants and made four arrests this week in the region served by the Salem division. Searches will continue next week.
Ramsey said Thursday's searches, resulting from tips to law enforcement, resulted in a good haul.
"I think it's quite a bit more than we've gotten in the last couple years," he said.
Sheriff's offices in Giles and Pulaski counties reported less success with this year's eradication program, citing the lateness of the season and the heat.
In Pulaski County, too, the Sheriff's Office begins searching for marijuana in the spring by making ground searches and continues its efforts throughout the growing season, not just on the special eradication days, said Maj. Jim Davis.
In Giles County, people - likely aware of the risk their patch would be discovered by helicopter searches - are turning more to indoor growing, said Lt. Gary Price. About 30 plants were seized in Giles County during the eradication there.
Ramsey said indoor growing is popular in Montgomery County, too.
"People are getting wise that this is being done every year," Ramsey said of the helicopter fly-overs.
by CNB