Authorities are calling “Operation Smoke Out” a success.
During the last two weeks of August, Indiana Station Police, the Indiana National Guard County Drug Task Force, the state DNR along with federal DEA and Forest Service personnel, worked together in the operation.
Grant money paid for a large portion of southern Indiana to be searched by air for marijuana growing operations. The effort was meant to be a response to information of illegal drug trafficking on public and federally owned property.
Daily discoveries over the period resulted in 146 marijuana plots containing nearly 5000 plants were found. The street value was around 7.5 million dollars. Sixteen people were arrested and four pounds of processed marijuana, six weapons, a meth lab and $3000 in cash were located. Officers hope that information obtained throughout the two weeks will result in future additional arrests.
