More than 1,000 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $1.8 million is off the streets in Pickerington after, police said, they broke up an operation linked to a Mexican drug cartel.
Pickerington police, along with Columbus police, the Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Unit and agents with the South Central Ohio HIDTA Federal Drug Task Force searched two houses on opposite sides of Pickerington Friday. Inside, they found a combined total of 1,100 pounds of pot.
Another 46 pounds were found after police stopped three vehicles leaving the homes. Police aren't saying where the homes are, but said the homes were being used to distribute marijuana.
"The information we've been getting from task force is it is from a Mexican drug cartel, but we didn't know it was this big and we didn't know it was in our city. But from their investigation, it just goes to prove they can set up in any small town," said Commander Steven Annetts, with the Pickerington Police Department. "I've been here 20 years, and it's one of the biggest (busts) I've ever seen. $1.8 million dollars, that's a big hit."
He said the suspects would do whatever they could to cover the scent of marijuana in the vehicles.
"In the vehicle that they got the 32 pounds out of, they even had coffee grounds and beans on top of it to try to throw off our dog. It didn't work though," Annetts said.
Three men have been arrested. Annetts said they expect to make more arrests.
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