In the first, 60-year-old John Ford of Waawaa was arrested and charged with drug and firearms offenses following the service of a search warrant at his home Tuesday.

Police recovered 309 marijuana plants, 266 grams (9.38 ounces) of processed marijuana and items associated with the cultivation, processing, weighing and packaging of marijuana for sale. The street value of the drugs was estimated at $313,690. Also recovered were two loaded firearms.

After conferring with prosecutors, police charged Ford with first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, second-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and five firearms offenses. His bail was set at $6,600.

Another Puna man was arrested for alleged drug offenses Wednesday following the service of search warrants at two Leilani Estates homes controlled by him. At 4:20 p.m. Hilo vice officers executed a search warrant at Donald Coke's first home and recovered 37 marijuana plants in two outdoor plots, an additional 343 marijuana plants in an indoor grow operation, 13.8 pounds of processed marijuana, 7 grams of hashish, and items associated with the cultivation, processing and packaging of marijuana for sale.

As police arrived at the first home, Coke fled to an adjacent residence followed by police, who arrested him and observed marijuana in the second residence, for which they obtained another search warrant. During the execution of the warrant police recovered 6.8 pounds of processed marijuana, 7 grams of hashish and drug paraphernalia.