Hidden Crops: Tens of Thousands of Illegal Cannabis Plants Seized in Cartel Arrest – LocalNews8.com

By Madisen Keavy

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SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (KOVR) — Thousands of illegal marijuana plants were seized this week during a two-day operation in southern Sacramento County, and authorities say it was the result of drug cartel operations

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi said 36,524 illegal marijuana plants were found at 10 separate grow sites linked to the cartel.

The two-day operation required personnel to be flown by helicopter to a number of remote locations. The illegal plants were hidden among legal crops, such as corn with stalks that were tightly packed together, hiding the marijuana plants.

Sheriff’s Office members assigned to the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office Problem Oriented Policing Unit and the Rancho Cordova Police Department Crime Suppression Unit, were responsible for locating, seizing and destroying tens of thousands of plants that had been growing in the Sacramento County Delta region for an unknown amount of time.

According to Gandhi, farmers and landowners were unaware of the illegal cultivation activities and reported their findings to the police.

“We call these guys all kinds of things: we call them dangerous, we call them criminals, but they are not stupid, they know how to adapt to different law enforcement interventions,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi said the cartels behind these criminal farms are aware of the harvest schedule and operate in a manner that ensures they remain undetected.

Also found this week in the bust were chemical deposits, likely concentrated pesticides, which are generally not FDA approved. According to Gandhi, this component pollutes the environment and can be toxic because of the chemicals used in the illegal growing process.

“This is disrupting agriculture,” Gandhi said.

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