Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The SCSO recently released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017 and during the last two weeks.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported the following:
The SCSO recently released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017 and during the last two weeks.
Operating primarily on private property using search warrants, the Siskiyou Interagency Marijuana Investigation Team conducted a series of counter-drug operations during the period of Oct. 12—21. Thirty-six search warrants were served primarily in Mt. Shasta Vista, Mt. Shasta Forest, Klamath River Country Estates, and in the Bray-Tennant area of Butte Valley, targeting large cannabis cultivation sites in those areas.
This raises the total number of search warrant operations initiated by SIMIT to 175 and more are planned this week. During last week, SIMIT seized over 2,558 pounds of illegal cannabis plants and about 2,558 pounds of processed marijuana.
SIMIT is serving search warrants as a team with additional assistance from the local, state, and sometimes federal level.
SIMIT again worked with Siskiyou County Public Works and Code Enforcement Officers from the Planning Department. Code Enforcement Officers are focusing their efforts on illegal structures, portable toilets, water treatment/septic problems, well issues, fencing, generators, and other ordinance related violations. Public Works is providing support by providing dump trucks and a backhoe to help haul the large, mature cannabis plants being encountered by team members.
On-highway seizures of illegal cannabis loads continue to be made, with one large seizure made over the weekend, which brings the number of on-highway seizures in motor vehicles traveling local highways to eight in recent weeks.
During 2017, SIMIT has conducted counter-drug operation in various areas of Siskiyou County, mostly in Shasta Vista, Klamath River Country Estates in the Hornbrook area, Weed, Lake Shastina, Montague, Big Springs, Mt. Shasta Forest, Mount Shasta, Iron Gate (Copco Lake area), and Butte Valley, seizing approximately 27,071 illegal plants and 12,570 pounds of processed cannabis.
During those private property drug raids, 24 firearms were seized, two water trucks impounded, and a number of arrests made. Seven additional search warrants were served by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with SCSO, SIMIT, the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team, and the North State Major Investigation Team.
During 2017, SIMIT has also seized three flammable and dangerous THC extraction or "BHO" labs (concentrated cannabis). During the counter-drug operations, a number of greenhouses, growing nurseries, outdoor cultivation sites, and two indoor illicit cannabis grows were eradicated. One hundred and eleven criminal cases are being prepared for submission to the Siskiyou County District Attorney.
The illicit cannabis plants seized by SIMIT are worth an estimated $324,852,000 on the retail drug market with a three pound per plant yield. The processed cannabis is estimated to be worth at least $50,280,000 on the illegal retail drug market.
Totals for the illegal plants and processed cannabis seized by SIMIT during the year total $375,132,000.
According to Sheriff Jon Lopey, "We are still seeing large-scale illicit cannabis grow sites in many county areas and these recent operations prove there is still a large-scale effort by many illegal growers to violate the law and existing county guidelines, which do not permit more than 12 medical cannabis plants. These 12 plants are required to be grown in an approved indoor structure. There is also mounting evidence of large-scale, organized crime efforts to finance the numerous illicit grow sites that have been observed or eradicated. The number of plants have typically ranged from 99 illegal plants to a high of 2,985 plants on single parcels.
Many plants are now being harvested and the seizure of processed cannabis, which is typically packaged for transportation and sales and in some cases hanging in specially-constructed drying sheds are increasingly more common."
The SCSO and the Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office formed SIMIT during 2016 and the team has assumed the primary mission of enforcing drug-related laws and the county's marijuana ordinance on private property. Significant increases of illegal cannabis plants and processed marijuana are being encountered this year compared to 2016.
Thus far during 2017 and during the previous year, SIMIT investigators continue to encounter environmental damage inflicted by growers, including downed trees, garbage, raw sewage, illegal water diversions, chemicals and fertilizers used in cultivation sites, and other adverse impacts. Illegal campfires on land parcels have been detected along with a number of fire hazards associated with debris piles, fuels, and hazardous substances. CAL FIRE law enforcement officers have cited many fire hazard-related violations during several counter-drug operations.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "We continue to be concerned about the conditions of the environment during our search warrant operations that reinforce the fact that environmental damage and fire hazards are particularly common in many of these illicit grow sites."
According to Sergeant Jeremiah LaRue, "Major impacts of these illegal marijuana cultivation sites continue to include but are not limited to open camp fires, improper grading, human waste, run-off sediment, nutrients and fertilizers leaching into the soil and watershed; improper site development, illegal road construction, run-off into streams, rivers, and lakes, illegal stream bed alterations, water thefts, and other public health and environmental concerns that adversely impact water quality and natural habitats, potentially harmful to birds, fish, other animals."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis cultivation raids continue in Siskiyou County - News - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA - Yreka, CA
Contact: Contact - Yreka, CA - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA
Photo Credit: Jasper Police Department
Website: Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Yreka, CA
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported the following:
The SCSO recently released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017 and during the last two weeks.
Operating primarily on private property using search warrants, the Siskiyou Interagency Marijuana Investigation Team conducted a series of counter-drug operations during the period of Oct. 12—21. Thirty-six search warrants were served primarily in Mt. Shasta Vista, Mt. Shasta Forest, Klamath River Country Estates, and in the Bray-Tennant area of Butte Valley, targeting large cannabis cultivation sites in those areas.
This raises the total number of search warrant operations initiated by SIMIT to 175 and more are planned this week. During last week, SIMIT seized over 2,558 pounds of illegal cannabis plants and about 2,558 pounds of processed marijuana.
SIMIT is serving search warrants as a team with additional assistance from the local, state, and sometimes federal level.
SIMIT again worked with Siskiyou County Public Works and Code Enforcement Officers from the Planning Department. Code Enforcement Officers are focusing their efforts on illegal structures, portable toilets, water treatment/septic problems, well issues, fencing, generators, and other ordinance related violations. Public Works is providing support by providing dump trucks and a backhoe to help haul the large, mature cannabis plants being encountered by team members.
On-highway seizures of illegal cannabis loads continue to be made, with one large seizure made over the weekend, which brings the number of on-highway seizures in motor vehicles traveling local highways to eight in recent weeks.
During 2017, SIMIT has conducted counter-drug operation in various areas of Siskiyou County, mostly in Shasta Vista, Klamath River Country Estates in the Hornbrook area, Weed, Lake Shastina, Montague, Big Springs, Mt. Shasta Forest, Mount Shasta, Iron Gate (Copco Lake area), and Butte Valley, seizing approximately 27,071 illegal plants and 12,570 pounds of processed cannabis.
During those private property drug raids, 24 firearms were seized, two water trucks impounded, and a number of arrests made. Seven additional search warrants were served by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with SCSO, SIMIT, the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team, and the North State Major Investigation Team.
During 2017, SIMIT has also seized three flammable and dangerous THC extraction or "BHO" labs (concentrated cannabis). During the counter-drug operations, a number of greenhouses, growing nurseries, outdoor cultivation sites, and two indoor illicit cannabis grows were eradicated. One hundred and eleven criminal cases are being prepared for submission to the Siskiyou County District Attorney.
The illicit cannabis plants seized by SIMIT are worth an estimated $324,852,000 on the retail drug market with a three pound per plant yield. The processed cannabis is estimated to be worth at least $50,280,000 on the illegal retail drug market.
Totals for the illegal plants and processed cannabis seized by SIMIT during the year total $375,132,000.
According to Sheriff Jon Lopey, "We are still seeing large-scale illicit cannabis grow sites in many county areas and these recent operations prove there is still a large-scale effort by many illegal growers to violate the law and existing county guidelines, which do not permit more than 12 medical cannabis plants. These 12 plants are required to be grown in an approved indoor structure. There is also mounting evidence of large-scale, organized crime efforts to finance the numerous illicit grow sites that have been observed or eradicated. The number of plants have typically ranged from 99 illegal plants to a high of 2,985 plants on single parcels.
Many plants are now being harvested and the seizure of processed cannabis, which is typically packaged for transportation and sales and in some cases hanging in specially-constructed drying sheds are increasingly more common."
The SCSO and the Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office formed SIMIT during 2016 and the team has assumed the primary mission of enforcing drug-related laws and the county's marijuana ordinance on private property. Significant increases of illegal cannabis plants and processed marijuana are being encountered this year compared to 2016.
Thus far during 2017 and during the previous year, SIMIT investigators continue to encounter environmental damage inflicted by growers, including downed trees, garbage, raw sewage, illegal water diversions, chemicals and fertilizers used in cultivation sites, and other adverse impacts. Illegal campfires on land parcels have been detected along with a number of fire hazards associated with debris piles, fuels, and hazardous substances. CAL FIRE law enforcement officers have cited many fire hazard-related violations during several counter-drug operations.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "We continue to be concerned about the conditions of the environment during our search warrant operations that reinforce the fact that environmental damage and fire hazards are particularly common in many of these illicit grow sites."
According to Sergeant Jeremiah LaRue, "Major impacts of these illegal marijuana cultivation sites continue to include but are not limited to open camp fires, improper grading, human waste, run-off sediment, nutrients and fertilizers leaching into the soil and watershed; improper site development, illegal road construction, run-off into streams, rivers, and lakes, illegal stream bed alterations, water thefts, and other public health and environmental concerns that adversely impact water quality and natural habitats, potentially harmful to birds, fish, other animals."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis cultivation raids continue in Siskiyou County - News - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA - Yreka, CA
Contact: Contact - Yreka, CA - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA
Photo Credit: Jasper Police Department
Website: Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Yreka, CA
