A late Wednesday night bust of a low maintenance, high profitindoor marijuana operation netted two arrests and the seizure ofplants with an estimated street value of over $185,000, authoritiessaid.

A late Wednesday night bust of a low maintenance, high profitindoor marijuana operation netted two arrests and the seizure ofplants with an estimated street value of over $185,000, authoritiessaid.

Jeff Mark Allen, 45, and his wife Kristy Leigh, 37, of 2712 NolaRoad, were arrested and charged with manufacture and possession ofmarijuana with intent to distribute after authorities executed asearch warrant at their residence around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Thecouple remained in jail Thursday under $50,000 bonds each, saidLincoln County Sheriff Lynn Boyte.

Seized in the bust were 209 marijuana plants and 20 pounds ofprocessed marijuana. At $350 an ounce on the plants and theprocessed marijuana valued at $112,000, authorities estimated thetotal value of the drugs to be $185,150.

“It’s a sizable dent in a major production in Lincoln County,”said Mike Aldridge, agent for Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

MBN agents and deputies from the Lincoln and Lawrence CountySheriff’s Departments participated in the operation, which lasteduntil around 2 a.m. Thursday. Boyte said MBN and his department hadeach received information on the operation, and they were able topool resources on the arrests.

“It was a great deal of cooperation with Lincoln County anddifferent sources providing us with the same information,” addedSimone Reeves, MBN agent.

Aldridge said the indoor aspect made for a year-round operation.With incubation devices, virtually self-watering plants andtimer-controlled heat and humidity exposure, he said the operationwas fairly low maintenance.

Boyte said the processed marijuana product was known as”Colombian Gold” and could be sold for $350 an ounce. Aldridge saidthat was the result of using mostly female plants that have ahigher content of THC, a chemical that produces a more intense”buzz” for the user.

Authorities indicated “gold” was an appropriate name.

“He was selling it for more than what you could sell gold for anounce,” Aldridge said.

Authorities seized the incubation equipment, and the plantstotaled 14 exhibit bags. Aldridge said the house is also subject toseizure, but a decision on that has not been made.

“Whether or not we seize the house is dependent on a number offactors,” Aldridge said. “That’s still to be determined.”