Central Maine law enforcement uncovered three more large-scale illegal marijuana grows this week in Franklin and Somerset Counties. They are the latest in a string of similar operations.
A team led by the Somerset County Sheriff's department seized more than 1,000 marijuana plants from a residence in the town of Ripley on Wednesday. Nobody was home at the time of the operation, and the investigation is ongoing, according to the Sheriff's office.
The day before, an operation in the nearby town of Harmony led to one arrest and the seizure of 3,400 marijuana plants and related equipment.
That raid was the result of a months-long investigation, according to the Sheriff's Office. Multiple agencies participated in the operation, including the Waterville Police Department, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and US Homeland Security.
Also this week, the Franklin County Sheriff's office discovered a large marijuana grow at a farmhouse in Jay. No one was home at the time.
It is the latest in a string of illegal marijuana busts in central Maine. While investigators have divulged little information about the illicit grows, Maine's congressional delegation has repeatedly urged the Department of Justice to investigate reported ownership ties to Chinese nationals.
