Sheriff Raids Pot Plantation

[Marianne]

It was the largest marijuana grow in Linn County that anyone at the sheriff's office could remember, and this week officials cut it down and hauled it out of a forested area south of Lyons.

Sheriff Tim Mueller said Thursday afternoon that his office had seized 4,707 plants.

If harvested and sold, the plants would have had a street value of more than $9 million, Mueller said, adding that his estimate was "a little on the low side."

Flying over the county by helicopter, detectives spotted the plantation on Aug. 7. They didn't immediately remove the plants because they were trying to catch the growers, Mueller said.

No one has been arrested in connection with this grow, and Mueller wouldn't say anything more except that it was still under investigation.

The plants had been growing on three acres of forest in the McCully Mountain area on property owned by Weyerhaeuser Co.

The marijuana was planted on a hillside, and irrigation tubing carried water from a creek farther up the hill down to the plants. Some of the dirt had been tilled and some of the plants had been staked.

The sheriff said there was evidence of campsites in the area.

Detective Capt. Paul Timm said a typical outdoor marijuana grow in Linn County consists of six to 100 plants. This grow had about 1,000 plants that were 6 to 8 feet tall.

This week, the sheriff's office noticed that some of the marijuana had been harvested and decided to cut the rest.

On Wednesday, after securing the area with assistance from a SWAT unit, officials began cutting the plants. Two deputies spent the night at the site to keep watch.

About 6:30 a.m. Thursday, deputies, members of Linn County Search and Rescue, and a member of the National Guard counter-drug unit began bundling and removing the plants from the forest.

The plants had to be carried up a trail and then loaded into the back of an all-terrain vehicle. From there, the plants were driven to a gravel road where they were transferred into the back of a National Guard truck.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the sheriff's office kept some of the marijuana for evidence, but most of the crop was taken by a "security convoy" to an incinerator in Eugene.

The security, Mueller explained, consisted of deputies driving in front of and behind the National Guard truck.

The sheriff's office was assisted by the Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home police departments, the DEA, and the National Guard.


Newshawk: Happykid - 420 Magazine
Pubdate: Fri, 08 Sep 2006
Source: Albany Democrat-Herald (OR)
Author: Carrie Petersen, staff writer
Copyright: 2006 Lee Enterprises
Contact: Mid-Valley Media Group

 

[Spliff Twister]

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the sheriff's office kept some of the marijuana for evidence, but most of the crop was taken by a "security convoy" to an incinerator in Eugene.

Hmmmm i wonder if it was really for "evidence" You know it seems to me that we have had a unusually high amount a grow bust this year. Could be wrong but in support street herb has been so hard to get the last 2 months. Thank god im a medical user and can go to the shops but still....

 

[Marianne]

yes, there have been a huge amount of busts lately.

 

[Cherma]

Again, the Dark Environment Around has permiated the surrounding area of Linn County & many others in a community near you.
Seattle and Virginia are training them well.
Be careful, no matter who or what organization that one belongs to, there is over a 35% chance that you have all ready been lit up by that dark environment around us. The reruiting network that is used is extensive and allows great opportunities to always place someone " at any cost".
Yes, this region and many more have many person of both genders that you would never suspect. There are no parameteres as to what they can do or not do. The name of the Game is "at any cost". It is your game to Win it or Lose It.
The groups and organizations that have been growing these big Operations have them all over, so what if one misses or gets hit.. Who Cares...There are usually 5 areas that do make it that far,and having one missed is no biggie. A cost of doing business. A Calcualted Risk.

Some of these long time associations are preparred for this to happen as it is a matter of doing business, and costs are calculated in for this. It is only the begining of what is to come. Game on.
The push is on and a serious forward momentum has begun on both sides to have Marijuana fully out of Prohibition and not only Grown by Businesses but also Taxed and Regulated as much as it can be.
Medical Marijuana Patients are on another class.
There is an enormous amount of money to be made during Prohibtion.
The full Sales & Marketing approach by our Federal Government is right around the corner, and it will be provided by Private Industry with Governing regulations that will apply.
Coors Brewing can effectively Market and Sell a "Just dump in the ice in this box with 12 Plastic Bottles and have instant "Cold Beer". I am sure that in the next few years there will be a commercial out that shows a Bong being Sold from a Convenience Store with ice to fill it and 28 grams of "Northern Lights" or whatever flavor of the day you want. Beer is made from mostly plants Hops, etc.. you get the picture. Marijuana is also of a plant substance.
How many different kinds of Beer is there? or Wine? or Hard Liquor? How many strains of Marijuana are there? Again, very similar.

Producing / Manufacturing + Packaging + Marketing + Distribution + Sales = GROSS PROFIT DOLLARS and lots of them...Taxation of any of these commodities are needed in order to cover costs. The choices we make as to where an individual may direct the revenues should be a choice, but only after any costs associated with either the Federal, State or Local Governing entities are covered. It needs to be a 2 way Highway. Both sides need to work together on reducing Costs and raising profits. This is better than these dollars going North or South of the USA Border. Or persons in Prison for Marijuana at a cost of over $60K per Year. For many years Mexico and Columbia were great source of Marijuana in the USA. As was Whiskey coming in from Canada via the Kennedy's. Both Mexico and other Central or South American Countries and Canada have been able to successfully keep a very Strong Market Presence in the USA by Smuggling in Marijuana Daily into the USA Borders. it would greatly benefit the Economic aspect in the USA by allowing approximately 2 Billion a year to remain in the USA. Yes 2 Billion Dollars a Year + is the approximate value of how much Marijuana is being brought into the USA every year by other countries.

The Federal Government is and has all ready realized we can't win. It is now that we are in a better position to regulate and make money off this situation instead of losing money..It is ours to lose.And the Peoples to Gain:

 

[Keith Lake]

what a funny statement. They didnt move in and decided to watch a while to catch the cultivators, but later changed their mind when they noticed some of the plants had been cut down and taken.

Ooops, guess they weren't watching too effectively