Approximately 3500 marijuana plants and over one hundred pounds of finished product were seized by authorities in a raid on a chicken house in Franklin County, authorities said.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement executed a search warrant Friday at 423 Casey Road in Canon based on citizen complaints of suspicious activity, Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement agent Mitchell Posey said in a news release.
Credit: Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement
Credit: Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement
A chicken house had been transformed into a sophisticated marijuana grow operation, Posey said. The chicken house was sectioned off into multiple rooms which contained marijuana plants in various germination stages.
The house had automated lighting, watering and air filtration systems installed, which Posey said cost over $100,000 alone.
The street value of the illegal marijuana seized from this operation is estimated at about $18 million, Posey said.
This operation is not connected to the 1,000 marijuana plant raid on May 1, Posey said.
Guojian LI was arrested at the scene, Psey said. Ll, who allegedly has a California driver’s license, was apparently living out of the house on the property. He was charged with manufacturing marijuana and was transported to the Franklin County Detention Center.
There is an active investigation into the operation.
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