Saturday, May 27, 2017

$500 Million Poppy Field Accidentally Discovered in N.C.

Talk about bad luck, this happened last week in Catawba County, North Carolina, and boy, the guy who was arrested must feel stupid as you-know-what.

Sheriff's Office deputies got a phone tip last week about an unrelated charge and knocked on the door of Mr. Cody Xiong. Xiong opened the door and thought the deputies were there about the illegal plants in his back yard, so he said, "I guess you're here for the opium?"

When authorities walked to Xiong's back yard, they discovered around 2,000 plants with an estimated value of about $500 million. The actual value will depend on how much the plants actually weigh. When processed, the opium is usually turned into morphine or heroin.

Opium plants are quite illegal to grow in the U.S. and most other countries. The field was about an acre in size and is located near Claremont, a Catawba County town located about 40 miles north of Charlotte. Claremont has a population of about 1,300 people.

Xiong, 37, is also suspected of being involved in a cockfighting operation. The deputies found quite a number of chickens around the home with unusual wounds. A total of eighty chickens were confiscated.

Xiong was charged with manufacturing a Schedule II drug and trafficking in opium. He has been released on $45,000 bail.

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