OCONTO COUNTY (WAOW) -
The
clean-up of marijuana plants in Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest is now
finished. That's a day after authorities started hauling close to 8,400 plants,
worth $8.5 million dollars. Six people are facing federal drug charges.
They
appeared in court today. A judge ruled all six will remain in jail while they
wait for trial. Five were in the United States illegally.
Prosecutors
are asking for a minimum of 10 years to life.
Helicopters
removed marijuana plants in the Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest
Wednesday. But this isn't the first time. Investigators say it's the third drug
bust in the forest in the past three years.
"Sites like
these are hard to detect," Forest Service Public Affairs officer Suzanne Flory
said.
Law
enforcement officials say marijuana grow sites are becoming a big problem in
our state.
"Statistically,
we're not going to find them all. We're probably finding a relatively small
percentage of them. So you have to figure there's more out there and that's why
we really want to urge the public," Department of Justice, Division of Criminal
Investigation Administrator Ed Wall said.
These sites
can be dangerous if someone finds one.
"When you're
talking about $8 million worth of product, people get killed for a lot less,"
Wall said.
"The number
one thing they need to do is leave the area right away, report it," Flory said.
Forest officials say growers choose these areas because they are
far away from the public. But that doesn't make them any less dangerous.
As summer
turns to fall, law enforcement officials say some growing sites may be left
behind. That's why they urge the public to always use caution and look for
anything suspicious.
