$10 million in pot seized at illegal grow operation, Washington cops say. Look inside

An illegal marijuana grow operation in Port Angeles, Washington, housed so much weed that it took officers two days to collect all of it, according to a news release from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) seized more than 3,100 plants and about 370 pounds of processed marijuana from six properties Dec. 7 and Dec. 8, which were all owned by the same Port Angeles business man, the release said.

By Washington’s retail pricing, the value of all that pot comes out to more than $5 million, according to the release. But large quantities of the product were shipped out of state, where the weed’s value exceeds $10 million, the release said.

None of the “enterprises were licensed with the state nor did they comply in any way with the legal cultivation of marijuana required by state law,” according to the release. Detectives determined the operation went on for at least three years, “generating many millions of dollars of untaxed and illegal profits,” the release said.

“The majority of the residences had been substantially remodeled for the purposes of cultivating marijuana and contained extensive electrical hazards,” according to the release.

Authorities also found hazardous chemicals at some of the properties, which “were confiscated by the Washington State Department of Ecology for destruction,” the release said.

The investigation, which lasted several years, started because “numerous” people complained about “suspicious activity, noxious odors and concerns over decreases in quality of life,” according to the release.

“The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made,” the release said.

This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 4:47 PM with the headline "$10 million in pot seized at illegal grow operation, Washington cops say. Look inside."