Crawford County authorities busted what they say was a large-scale marijuana-growing operation just south of Cedarville on Tuesday night, in a continuation of an investigation that began with a pair of area drug raids from earlier in the day.
Crawford County deputies, local Drug Task Force members and other law enforcement raided the house being used in the operation and seized about $250,000 in marijuana products, said Sheriff Ron Brown.
Brown said authorities discovered 271 marijuana plants in the bust, and the sophisticated growing operation was using about $50,000 worth of equipment.
No one was home during the raid, and Brown said he believes the house may have just been used as a location for the operation.
Brown said the Tuesday night’s bust is connected to the case earlier Tuesday when a Fort Smith man was arrested after police said they found more than 11 marijuana plants growing inside a home in Fianna Hills. Chi Hieu Pham, 23, of Fort Smith, was arrested in the case. Police said they also delivered a search warrant at another home owned by Pham in Barling on Tuesday. However, investigators said no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found inside that home.
