Amazing as it sounds, the Swiss police has reported yesterday that they stumbled across a sizeable dope plantation, which had helpfully been captured on Google Earth. The happy find came last year during an investigation into an alleged drug ring. Officers used Google Earth in order to find the addresses of a couple of farmers suspected of involvement in the operation.

They quickly managed to spot a 7,500 square meters illicit horticultural site in the northeastern canton of Thurgau. The head of Zurich police’s narcotics unit said this was certainly an interesting chance discovery. Thanks to it, the cops managed to arrest 16 people and seizure 11.1 tons of marijuana plus 900,000 Swiss francs ($780,000) in cash and valuables.

However, critics wonder whether the actual footage on a Google Earth was accurate at that time it was being used. Google Earth is an extremely popular free satellite mapping software. Government officials are also troubled through the use of wealthy information online, as New York City officials are one of those concerned about the vast information available on Web services.

Prosecutor Gaby Alkalay told reporters in Zurich that she plans to complete her criminal investigation in February, after which she will charge the 16 suspects and ask for prison sentences for all of them. The gang is alleged to have sold up to 7.7 tons of hashish and marijuana between 2004 and 2008, with an annual turnover of 3-10 million francs a year, according to officials. It remains to be seen if Google Earth will truly become a crime solving satellite.