Explosion leads Texas cops to secret marijuana-growing operation

Oops.

A 911 call about an explosion in Northeast Texas led the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department to what was intended to be a secret cannabis-growing operation, TV station KLTV reports.

The county dispatched first responders to a home just south of Gilmer, about 30 miles from Longview, after a witness called in Saturday to report seeing a fiery blast and a car leaving a nearby property, according to KLTV. As firefighters searched for occupants at the home, they reportedly suspected that it and a nearby building were being used as a growing operation.

After obtaining a search warrant, authorities found more than 70 pot plants, some more than six feet tall, according to the news report. Additionally, department officials found the remnants of harvested plants and “several thousand dollars” in growing equipment.

While investigators are still tracking down the cause of the explosion, county officials told the TV station the blaze may have been triggered by a leaking propane canister.

Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb told KLTV that neighbors hadn’t reported any suspicious activity around the growing operation. Authorities didn’t name any suspects but did say in a press statement that they had “some indicators of those involved.”

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This article appears in Jan 24 – Feb 6, 2024.