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Authorities find $1 million in pot plants in Swain

Jerry Monroe Berry and his son, Joshua Monroe Berry, of Swain County have been charged with growing marijuana in the Nantahala National Forest. 

According to Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran, a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations aircraft was conducting a routine flyover in Swain County when the plants were spotted. The drug operation was located in the Nantahala National Forest. Afterward, the site was monitored for several weeks by law enforcement authorities 

Officers and agents from the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee Police Department, U.S. Forest Service, SBI, DEA, Cherokee ALE, Cherokee NRE, BATF, U.S. Park Service and North Carolina State Highway Patrol took part in the bust.

Cochran stated that the estimated street value of the plants is approximately $1million.

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