The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) is cracking down on marijuana ground growing operations within the state.
In order to cover more ground, OBN has taken to the sky. They have two helicopters currently to search for pot plants growing in area fields and woods.
"It's a huge opportunity to cut down on manpower and not have to walk into marijuana fields," said OBN director Darrell Weaver. "So they're a huge asset to us."
OBN's been flying over the entire state of Oklahoma this summer looking for growing operations.
One easy way to spot a pot growing operation is the color of the plant's leaves, Weaver said.
"You just know it when you see it," Weaver said.
OBN also has the power to spray chemicals from the helicopter, which can kill the plants of smaller operations.
The extra effort this summer has really been impressive and led to a few huge pot busts, according to Weaver.
"Well, the largest marijuana operation we've ever done or cultivated was around 9,000 plants a couple of weeks ago north of Ada," said Weaver.
That operation recovered more than $9 million worth of pot. Investigators gathered evidence from three different camp sites near the marijuana patches, that will be used to help identify those responsible.
OBN will continue to cover a lot of ground in Eastern Oklahoma in the next week before temperatures begin to get cooler. That's because marijuana grows the best during the warm summer months, Weaver said.
OBN hopes to arrest anyone involved in the growing operations.
If you're interested in attending one of OBN's educational demonstrations, one will be held in Norman next month. Otherwise, OBN expects to be back in Eastern Oklahoma sometime next summer.