WEVER, IOWA -- Investigators in Lee County, Iowa seized a stash of 60 marijuana plants worth between $500,000 and $750,000.

An Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported a large outdoor grow operation near Wever, Iowa. The Lee County Drug Task Force began surveillance on the property.

A DNR officer encountered a man on the property Tuesday and chased him briefly through a heavily wooded area near the marijuana plants. The man eluded the officer and remains at large, a task force press release said.

The task force dismantled the grow operation and secured the drugs for investigation.

Unit Commander Stacy Weber said the marijuana appeared to be of high-grade quality and will undergo lab testing to determine its THC content.

No arrests were made as of Wednesday.