Illegal marijuana operation worth nearly $2 million busted in Bourbon County

BOURBON COUNTY, Kan. (KCTV) - Multiple law enforcement agencies discovered and cracked down on an extensive illegal outdoor marijuana grow operation worth nearly $2 million in Bourbon County, Kansas.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigations announced Friday that it, along with the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol, Allen County Sheriff’s Office and the Bourbon County Public Works had discovered the operation located near the intersection of 35th Street and Highway 65, near Bronson, Kansas.

On Thursday, June 29, law enforcement authorities secured the grow site at approximately 8:30 a.m. Authorities said an unknown subject fled the area and was unable to be located.

Authorities found a total of 1,350 marijuana plants along with camping gear, firearms, a vehicle and growing paraphernalia that included watering devices, garden sprayers, gardening tools, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer.

The marijuana being grown at the Bourbon County location would have produced approximately 1,350 pounds of marijuana, according to the KBI. The KBI said that amount of marijuana has an estimated street value of around $1.7 million.

An investigation surrounding the growth operation is ongoing, according to the KBI.