| West Virginia DNR police have made 11 arrests and seized 190 pounds of dry ginseng that was illegally harvested, following an investigation that lasted a year.
The Department of Natural Resources says the market value of the ginseng was $180,000.
The department says the seized ginseng was harvested before the digging season began.
Besides the ginseng, the NRP said they also seized stolen guns, illegal drugs and $30,000 in cash.
Ginseng digging season begins Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
Ginseng is coveted in many Asian cultures because the plant's gnarly, multi-pronged root is believed to have medicinal properties.
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