PATRICK COUNTY (WSLS 10) - The Patrick County Sheriff's Office announced that the largest outdoor marijuana grow ever found in Virginia was discovered in a remote area of Bull Mountain early Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Dan Smith said that deputies from the sheriff's office located the vast network of makeshift terraces at approximately 6 a.m. Wednesday after conducting surveillance in the area.
There were 35 different grow areas yielding a total of 30,255 plants located approximately two miles from the nearest public road.
"There were crude trail systems cut throughout the mountain side, each one was hand cut by the suspects to avoid detection," Smith said in a written statement.
The sheriff said that evidence left behind by the suspects clearly indicate that this was a Mexican grow, which have been commonly found in remote areas throughout the country.
A similar grow yielding 3,700 plants was found in Patrick County in 2011. The sheriff indicated that when the grow was initially discovered early Wednesday, the decision was made to call in multiple agencies to assist in the approach and removal of the plants.
By 1 p.m. on Thursday, all plants had been confiscated and brought down the mountain. Officers remained on scene throughout the night for evidentiary purposes.
"At some points , we had 25 officers from our agency, the Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in the grow area at once counting and recovering plants," Smith said.
Because of the time of year, the sheriff's office said plants were small, ranging from 8 inches to two feet in height. Smith said that neither his investigators nor the state police investigators who assisted have ever heard of a larger outdoor grow being found in Virginia.
The investigation is continuing and Smith said he's optimistic that charges are forthcoming. Sgt. Eric O'Connell is the case's lead investigator.
"This is just another example of how we will work with other agencies to suppress crime in our community, I am proud of this office," the sheriff said.