VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan State Police are searching for the suspects tied to a large grow operation in an armed camp in Covert Township.
The following is a news release sent by Michigan State Police:
On 07/29/2014 Southwest Enforcement Team received a tip on a marijuana grow in Covert Twp, Van Buren County. The ensuing investigations lead officers to an armed camp in a secluded area of the Township. Officers observed two, armed, Hispanic males, tending to a very large outdoor marijuana grow on public lands. When officers made contact two suspects fled into the heavy underbrush. Police K-9 units tracked the individuals through dense underbrush and woods for several miles to a location off of County Rd 376 where they believe they may have been transported out of the area by accomplices. Officers secured the marijuana grow and found 14,860 well-tended marijuana plants, a long term encampment and long guns dropped by the fleeing suspects.
Authorities are requesting that anyone who may have seen someone being picked up from County Rd 376 at 196 area of Van Buren County on 08-02-2014 to contact SWET at 269-982-8664 and leave a message.
The Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) is a Michigan State Police supervised multi-jurisdictional criminal investigation team comprised of detectives from local agencies and the Michigan State Police. The agencies contributing detectives to SWET are the South Haven Police Department, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department, the Kalamazoo Township Police Department, the Marshall Police Department, the Barry County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan State Police. SWET was assisted by Michigan State Police Fifth District Headquarters, MSP Aviation Section, MSP Special Operations, WEMET and South Haven Police Department.
