FREDERICKTOWN — A sharp-eyed Ohio State Highway Patrol pilot spotted marijuana plants Saturday afternoon in a corn field south of Fredericktown and called in Knox County Sheriff’s deputies to harvest them.
The haul was 73 plants after an hour of searching through the field directed by the pilot, Trooper Christopher Hasty, who flew in tight circles around the field directing the deputies to the plants growing in small open spaces in the field.
Hasty said he was on his way to northeast Ohio on a traffic detail when he saw the plants. Returning from the detail he called the sheriff’s office. Hasty said between the times some of the plants had been harvested from small opening cut in the field of corn.
OSHP pilots are trained to look for marijuana plants which are a darker green color than the corn. He said they are also able to spot wrecked cars that have been abandoned after they were stolen. Deputies bagged the plants to be burned later.
Hasty added he spotted plants in another field near the Knox County Airport while flying over last week. He said 155 plants were confiscated at that time.
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