DEA estimates street value at more than $415k
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) uncovered a large indoor marijuana grow operation on Thursday, Sept. 22 in Saluda.
Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill said it is the largest indoor grow operation he has ever seen.
DEA officials estimated the street value of the marijuana at $415,680.
Approximately 1,500 harvested plants and 232 growing plants were discovered on a Saluda property in different buildings, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

David William Propest, of 35 Homestead Lane, Saluda, was arrested and transported to the Buncombe County Jail on outstanding charges of trafficking a schedule IV controlled substance in that county. Once in Polk County, Propest will be charged with felony manufacturing marijuana, felony maintaining a vehicle, dwelling place for a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the sheriff’s office.
The search warrant was executed on the Homestead Lane property on Sept. 22 by the sheriff’s office and the SBI. The DEA was involved with the investigation.