The Pike County Sheriff Department confiscated over 30 marijuana plants during its annual drug eradication fly-over of the county.

The Troy Police Department, ABC, Alabama Department of Public Safety’s aviation unit and ABI provided assistance to the sheriff’s department Friday during the fly-over of Pike County.

Sheriff Russell Thomas said two separate growing fields were spotted and investigated.

The first field was deep in the woods on Lower Dugan Road, County Road 2288, according to Lt. Bob Williamson with the Pike County Sheriff Department.

“They were deep in the woods,” Wiliamson said. “Someone went in, took a chainsaw and cut down about a dozen big pines and drug them out of the way. They had them in fenced-in cages. It was in groups of plants. There were four different spots with two or three cages in each spot.”

The second of the growing fields was found at 585 County Road 3306 in Spring Hill, an area just outside of Troy. Twenty marijuana plants were found growing in and around the residence, Thomas said.

“There was a search warrant obtained for that residence,” Thomas said. “The search warrant was executed. Inside the home there were marijuana plants in the closet drying.”

Darius Antwan Mcbryde, 25, 585 County Road 3306, was arrested at his residence and charged with possession of marijuana first. Mcbryde’s was free on a $7,500 bond. Thomas said Mcbryde’s next court appearance would be his arraignment, which should happen within the coming week.