Pot plants found in Twin Rivers

The Cherokee County Metro Narcotics Unit used a helicopter last week to find 20 marijuana plants.

Authorities are continuing to try and determine who owns the marijuana plants.

Nineteen plants were found in the Twin Rivers area, while the remaining plant was found in the Providence Creek area, said Cherokee County Metro Narcotics Unit Capt. Rick Burgess.

The numbers indicate that outdoor marijuana cultivation is not as prevalent as it once was, he said.

“The big fields are not out there like they used to be,” Burgess said. “Either they have gotten lazy or we scared them with the planes. We don’t find the big fields like we used to.”

In years past the narcotics unit would find 2,000-3,000 plants during a search.

The narcotics unit utilized state resources by contacting the state’s marijuana eradication team through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). With the help of police using SLED helicopters to spot the plants, local narcotics agents used fourwheelers on the ground to seize the plants, which were later destroyed.

Similar flights over Cherokee County are regularly scheduled and will continue late in the marijuana harvesting season, usually until after the first frost, Burgess said.