Marijuana 'farm' found in southern Utah

There was a major marijuana bust in southern Utah Saturday.

Detectives from the Washington County Drug Task Force discovered approximately 1,000 marijuana plants in the hills west of rural New Harmony, south of Cedar City. Some of the plants were between 12 feet to 15 feet tall, said Washington County Sheriff's Lt. Jake Adams. The estimated street value of all the drugs was between $3 million to $5 million, he said.

Officers were tipped off to the large growing operation by an alert hunter who spotted the plants and called 911. Soon, investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iron County Drug Task Force and the Utah Department of Public Safety were assisting in the investigation.

A helicopter from the Utah Highway Patrol was used to carry bales of marijuana plants out of the mountains and to an area where they could be documented and stored as evidence.

No arrests had been made as of Saturday evening. The public, especially New Harmony residents, is being asked to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity or people in the area and notify the Washington County Sheriff's Office, 435-634-5730 if there are any signs of trouble.

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