GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Seventeen homes were raided Wednesday morning throughout Gwinnett County in what police are calling a major drug bust throughout Gwinnett County.
Gwinnett police told 11Alive about 50 personnel from multiple law enforcement agencies were used to conduct the operation.
All of the raids began at 6 am and were coordinated among the different agencies, including from Norcross, Snellville, Duluth, Buford, Lawrenceville, Lilburn and Suwanee. Federal and state agencies were also involved.
The raids were the result of a single tip that led authorities to months of investigating.
"Once they started it kind of got bigger and bigger and bigger and it led to that many search warrants being obtained and executed," said Lawrenceville Police Lt. Jake Parker.
PHOTOS: Huge Gwinnett drug bust
Many of the homes housed active marijuana grow operations, police said. The marijuana filled entire rooms, ranging from young seedlings to plans that grew up to 5 feet tall. Others were being dried out, apparently ready to be sold.
Police so far have confirmed two addresses that have been raided: 1623 Bent River Drive in Lilburn and 289 Serenity Point in Lawrenceville.
Authorities said the other homes were connected to the same large-scale operation.
Some neighbors of the house on Bent River Drive said they were shocked to hear of the raids, but relieved to see the marijuana being hauled away.
"Very happy to be seeing it cleaned up and shocked to see it is right here," one woman said. "There is probably a lot going on that we don't know about."
Police have not released the exact number of arrests. Task force members said more details will be released soon.
