By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE uprooted more than 4,000 marijuana plants on Tuesday after officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit discovered three large marijuana fields in Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Officer-in-charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit, Superintendent Samuel Butler said the huge discovery – one of the biggest for the year – was made near the southern end of Marsh Harbour.

According to police reports, shortly after 2pm, Bahamian police with officers from Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) were on routine patrol when they discovered three large marijuana fields in the pine forest.

The marijuana plants, which range from 6 inches to 6 feet in height, were all uprooted.

No arrest was made in this incident, but investigations are continuing.

This discovery comes nearly two weeks after DEU officers, with other law enforcement officials, discovered several plots of suspected marijuana plants in Grand Bahama.

Police said around 10am on July 28, officers on routine air patrol in the area of the Lucayan National Park, discovered the plants ranging from six inches to two feet in height.

Police said 5,860 of suspected marijuana plants, with an estimated street value of $500,000 – were found in that incident.

No arrest was made in this matter.

Anyone with information on any of these discoveries is asked to contact police immediately.

According to drug statistics provided by the Royal Bahamas Police Force in January, there was a sharp increase in the number of marijuana plants seized by police in 2014 – with 290,336 plants seized as opposed to the 27,746 seized in 2013.

Grand Bahama had the highest number of seized marijuana plants, with 287,812 found in 2014.