$18 million worth of marijuana plants seized in northeast Georgia

FRANKLIN COUNTY — More than 3,000 marijuana plants with a street value of $18 million were seized Friday in the small northeast Georgia town of Canon.

Police also arrested a man who was living in a house on the same property.

This is the second marijuana grow operation that has been dismantled in Franklin County in the last two weeks, though police do not believe they are connected.

This raid was based on citizen complaints of suspicious activity.

Police said a chicken house had been transformed into a marijuana grow house. Besides 3,500 marijuana plants, more than 100 pounds of finished product, some of which was in vacuum sealed bags and ready for distribution, were seized.

The chicken house was sectioned off into numerous rooms. Each room contained various stages of growth from germination stage to mature plants that were ready to be cultivated.

Police said the equipment alone cost more than $100,000.

Police arrested Guojian LI, who was charged with manufacturing marijuana.

There is an active investigation into the operation.