Helicopters Search For Pot Fields In Green Country

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

NOWATA COUNTY -- National Guard choppers took to the skies, looking for marijuana fields on government-owned land in northeast Oklahoma. The air search came three days after deputies discovered tens of thousands of pot plants.

The pilots came up empty handed after three hours of searching. Even though they're disappointed, deputies say it was worth the extra effort.

Deputy Jay Long has been with the Nowata Sheriff's Office for more than a decade. He says after this weekend's historic marijuana seizure, calling the National Guard was the right move.

"Is it worth this much effort?" said Nowata County Sheriff's Deputy Jay Long. "Absolutely. Absolutely it's worth this much effort, to keep this much, this much drugs off the street. It's worth every bit of it."

Not one, but two choppers flew in from Oklahoma City to help out. They flew over thousands of acres of government-owned land in Nowata and Rogers counties.

5/2/2010 Related Story: Authorities Destroy More Than 32,000 Marijuana Plants Growing In Nowata County

Sheriff's deputies destroyed more than 32,000 pot plants in Nowata County over the weekend.

"We believe that there's the possibility of there being more, because of the size of the operation," Long said. "And the only way to be sure, is by operations like this."

The deputies in the air communicated with eight other deputies on the ground via walkie-talkie.

Two hours into the search, Long announced he had spotted what appeared to be another field of marijuana. It turned out that the plants weren't pot.

"It keeps them on their toes, keeps them running. They never know where we're going to be," said Deputy Jason Lafferty, Nowata County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies didn't find any more pot fields, and while they admit they're disappointed - they say there's a silver lining to the mission.

"We're not going to put up with it anymore. Enough's enough," Lafferty said. "Hopefully, if nothing else comes out of it, then that's a good thing."

The Sheriff's Office has made one arrest in connection to this weekend's pot farm bust. The Undersheriff says the suspect is being held for being in the country illegally. However, he has not been charged with the crime of cultivating marijuana.