16 arrests and $7.5 million in marijuana tallied with Operation Smoke Out
The Indiana State Police partnered with several federal, state and local agencies to find and eradicate 146 marijuana grow operations throughout Southern Indiana during a marijuana eradication blitz named Operation Smoke Out.
According to authorities, the state police, Indiana National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, US Drug Enforcement Administration, US Forest Service, Civil Air Patrol, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and local law enforcement agencies in Southern Indiana partnered to concentrate their efforts on illegal marijuana grow operations across southern Indiana from August 17 to 28.
This effort was a proactive response to criminal intelligence of illegal drug trafficking operations growing marijuana on public property such as the Hoosier National Forest and other remote state and federally owned property.
Through federal grant programs funded through the Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program, the Indiana State Police and Indiana National Guard were able to combine efforts with personnel, intelligence, and aircraft support to make Operation Smoke Out a success.
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Through the combined efforts and resource sharing of the agencies, a large portion of southern Indiana was scoured by aircraft surveillance and supported by mobile ground teams. Through these efforts, 146 marijuana plots were found to contain a total of 4,898 marijuana plants.
Investigators believe that the street value of the marijuana seized could be as much as $7,500,000.
Sixteen people were arrested throughout the course of the operation, and officers seized over four pounds of processed marijuana, six weapons, $3,000, and a methamphetamine lab.
Officers hope that information obtained throughout the two weeks will result in future additional arrests.
The Indiana State Police Marijuana Eradication Section needs your help to combat illegal drug activity in Indiana. Anyone with drug information can anonymously call the Indiana Marijuana Tip Line at 888-873-1694.
Authorities credited the success of the marijuana eradication program to excellent teamwork amongst law enforcement, government agencies and good information shared from the public.
I, for one, am so relieved to see that our local law enforcement is at least keeping themselves busy making sure that the only way this dangerous plant can make it into the hands of local people is through the same dangerous drug cartels that are killing dozens of people every day and feeding deadly street gangs in the US with automatic weapons and endless amounts of money that would have otherwise probably ended up in our own local businesses and schools. Now, at least, we can all rest well tonight knowing that these heroes who have dedicated themselves to keeping our communities safe are being forced to engage in use of force against their own local community in effort to maintain the Mexican drug cartel’s monopoly in a market that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
^^^ Marijuana is not dangerous nor will it ever be. It is a natural plant that comes from the ground. Just like any other plant. Are you calling trees dangerous? No.
To you dumb assessment that want to complain, until it is legalized it is still a drug. Grow up. You all deserve what ya get for doing illegal stuff.
It’s legality has no bearing on its mislabeling as a drug. Are cigarettes drugs? No, the naural chemical in it, nicotine, is labeled a drug by the FDA. In a controlled setting, the natural chemicals in cannabis far outweigh the negative impact it truly has, along with the propaganda fed by our government. If regulated in the proper manner it is far safer than most of the drugs and chemicals our government and FDA keep legal. I’d be more concerned at the fact that now CHILDREN can be prescribed Oxycontin, a drug in which its use and abuse has killed more people than cannabis, period. Our resources have been wasted and far too much of OUR money wasted in the ‘fight’ against a plant that has been here longer than any of us. Hell, I say we wage war against peanuts, they’ve killed more people than cannabis.