National Guard Busts Alleged Pot-Growing Operation in Falls Township

PHILADELPHIA- WTXF - he counterdrug aerial surveillance teams from the National Guard spotted it in a second- thanks to a tell-tale clue.

"The color green is much different in the marijuana than in the surrounding foliage, that's what these guys do fly over vast area of woods spot different color green," said Lt. Henry Ward of Falls Township police.

This big outdoor grow was hidden in plain sight in Falls Township- right along Lower Morrisville Road and busy Route 13.

The dense woods gave good cover- but, not to teams in the sky. Next, teams on the ground tramped in and got DNA off water bottles.

"What we can do now is take touch DNA off most anything, touch water bottle, tool marijuana bag, we are able to get DNA sample off, send it out to our lab get us DNA and check against a defendant not much dispute."

Next, detectives chopped down all 24 pounds of marijuana- check out the haul- worth $90,000 on the street- and set up special cameras hidden in the trees.

All of a sudden this guy came walking up the trail. police say, he's 33 year old Daniel Santos, and the look on his face was priceless.

"It's pretty funny actually got his picture of his surprised look as his whole field was gone and see him very animated very upset someone took all his marijuana."

Right now the suspect is facing numerous charges, he is in jail, unable to make the 10 percent of his nearly 1 million dollars bail.