PUBLISHED: July 30, 2009
Nearly 2,000 marijuana plants were found in Manchester.
Officials with the Michigan State Police are still searching for the suspect in connection with one of the state's largest outdoor marijuana growing operations.
The discovery was made near a storage unit off of Sharon Hollow Road north of U.S. 12 in Manchester Township July 21 as part of a federally-funded narcotics crackdown operation throughout the state.
Lt. Monica Yesh, a spokeswoman for the state police, said law enforcement agencies first discovered the plants after a police helicopter flyover turned up a large and flourishing crop near the property.
"There was about 2,000 planta growing on the property," she said. "This is the biggest outdoor growing operations we've investigated."
As of Friday, no arrests have been made in conjunction with the case.
"We do have a suspect," Yesh said. "We hope he will turn himself in."
Yesh said when officers arrived at the property, the male suspect fled on foot and is still at large.
"We have troopers at the location around the clock collecting evidence," she said.
Once all the evidence is collected, state police will determine whether the crime will be prosecuted at the state or federal level.
"Obviously if he turns himself in and cooperates with us we will be able to work with him," she said.
The annual flyovers are part of the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/ Suppression Program, formerly known as HEMP (Help Eliminate Marijuana Planting).
Outdoor marijuana growing is fairly common in rural areas Yesh said.
"Because of the nature of rural open areas, unforunately you will find more people trying to get away with outdoor growing," she said. "The incident in Manchester wasn't surprising but it was unexpected."
More than 70 law enforcement officers took part in the effort Tuesday afternoon. The investigation has been turned over to the Washtenaw County drug enforcement unit.
Yesh said the drug enforcement program would continue throughout the state in the coming weeks.
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