100,000 cannabis plants confiscated in the historic bust of the San Francisco Bay Area

Law enforcement officials in the San Francisco Bay Area last week seized more than 100,000 cannabis plants from more than a dozen unlicensed plots and set up a “modern smuggling operation” in a series of raids spanning two days. The massive bust carried out by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in the East Bay resulted in the seizure of millions of dollars in cash and cannabis plants, equivalent to a potential illegal marijuana sale in the millions, according to law enforcement estimates.

“This is an organization that operates outside of the California marijuana law and protocols, is unlicensed, and is making millions in profits,” said Ray Kelly, public information officer for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

Kelly said the illegal growers, which he described as “high tech” and “very sophisticated,” “were motivated by extreme profit and greed. It was pure cash creation by the organizers of this company. ”Several suspects were arrested during the raids, but the names of those detained were not made public.

An 18-month investigation led to raids in the Bay Area

More than 100 sheriff staff and agents from the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force were involved in an 18-month investigation culminating in last week’s raids on search warrants issued at 18 locations in East Oakland, Hayward, Castro Valley and San Leandro became. The investigation was opened by drug detectives with the sheriff’s department after they received a lead on illegal marijuana cultivation. The raids produced about six tons of pot, as well as Rolex watches and other jewelry.

“We have confiscated 12,000 pounds of processed, harvested marijuana product ready for sale,” said Kelly.

During a raid on an Oakland warehouse acreage, MPs seized up to $ 10 million in cash along with evidence of a money laundering operation. Kelly noted that farmers in the Bay Area could have avoided the police operation if it had been licensed by the state.

“The crazy thing is if they got the right permits and fees and paid all their licenses and tax fees, we wouldn’t be here,” he said Thursday at a press conference at the Oakland warehouse, where he displayed a bag he said , contained $ 1 million in seized cash. “This is one of the biggest gains we’ve seen recently. It’s a massive operation. “

“These people don’t do that,” Kelly told Newsweek, referring to the permits required to grow cannabis legally. “They work much like the bootlegging operations of the 1920s. They are very demanding, very organized. They have invested millions of dollars in their infrastructure. We estimate they have roughly half a million square feet of acreage that they use. “

Kelly said the operators of the illegal cannabis growing areas would buy warehouses and other buildings and equip them with sophisticated growing equipment like computers and timers. The suspects hired plumbers and electricians to install the equipment and hired cultivators, trimmers, and vans to produce and distribute the cannabis.

12 truckloads of smoke

The sheriff’s spokesman said 12 truckloads of cannabis were transported to a location in California’s Central Valley to be burned. He added that the required taxes on cannabis sales had not been paid and that forensic accountants would be included in the ongoing investigation. In a social media post on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office wrote that it would take several days to process the warrant pages and remove the contraband.

“This organized and sophisticated network of individuals made tens of millions of dollars in profits and avoided California” [marijuana regulations]“Wrote the sheriff’s office on Facebook. “We currently estimate that we have confiscated over 100,000 plants and more than $ 10,000,000 in cash. In addition, millions of dollars in infrastructure, equipment, lighting, generators and supplies are being used to facilitate growth. “

Kelly said at least seven people have been arrested in the operation so far and more arrests may be imminent. In addition to crimes related to illegal marijuana cultivation and money laundering, detectives are investigating whether the operation violated environmental laws.

“The environmental impact these sites are causing is worrying,” he said. “We’re talking about fertilizers, chemicals, chemicals that are known to cause cancer.”

Despite the arrests and seizures, Kelly said the potential gains from illegal cannabis were so high that he doubted the operation would be that deterrent.

“There’s nothing stopping you from doing it again,” he said. “It’s a lucrative business.”