$84 MILLION IN MARIJUANA FOUND NEAR BROADWAY

LILLINGTON -- A marijuana-growing operation found in Harnett County on
Tuesday included a homemade irrigation system, two crude huts for
caretakers, and fertilizers and pesticides.

"I've never seen one set up like this before," Sheriff Larry Rollins
said Wednesday. "It's a farming operation." It could have been a
profitable venture, Rollins said. Officers found 35,000 marijuana
plants with a street value of $84 million growing in eight plots in an
isolated area off Womack Road in the Broadway community. The discovery
was made from a helicopter used by officers during their annual
marijuana eradication efforts, Rollins said.

"When it was found, what we heard from the air was, 'Go get some
help,'" Rollins said.

The plants were being grown on 10 acres that had been re-seeded after
trees were cut for timber, Rollins said.

"There was a creek nearby where they had 700 to 800 feet of garden
hoses running through the woods to the plots with small pumps to
irrigate," Rollins said.

Pools used to mix fertilizers and pesticides had been dug at each
plot, he said. "There were cases of rat poison to put out and keep
away pests, rodents, deer and other animals," Rollins said.

Some of the plants had been pruned, indicating they were reaching
maturity, he said. They ranged in height from 1 foot to 4 feet,
Rollins said. No charges have been filed. Rollins would not identify
the property owners but said the area was used for deer hunting
several years ago. Anyone with information is asked to call the
Harnett County Sheriff's Office at 893-9111. A reward is being offered.