# $30 million pot grow uncovered in Chelan County



## FruityBud (Aug 13, 2008)

CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. -- Some 15,000 to 20,000 pot plants are history, hacked down on Tuesday during a surprise raid.

The plants were found about a half mile deep in the woods near the small town of Merritt. The place was hard to see by air, even harder by foot with down slopes three times as steep as those found on the streets of downtown Seattle. But there was no fooling the law.

"We're sneaking into territory they have been working in for weeks and months," said Lee Rishon, Chelan County SWAT Team member as law enforcement officials prepared to move in on Tuesday.

Deputies say the grow has all the markings of the Mexican cartel.

"They'll start them out just like you do your tomato plants at home -- little 2, 3-inchers as soon as the weather starts to break. The final product here is $1,500 per plant," said Lt. Jerry Moore with Chelan County Sheriff's Office.

Street value of the grow is about $30 million.

"They go out of their way and find some of the most unbelievable locations. We've seen them grow on the side of a cliff where you would swear a mountain goat couldn't get to," said Lt. Rich Wiley with Washington State Patrol.

If you think the grower of the marijuana could have been in trouble with the police, think of how much trouble he's in with the Mexican cartel for not defending it. But not even tracking dogs lifted in by helicopter could find the growers.

Dogs and deputies did find the camp. They found cheese and frozen meat. They also found bud in a back pack, a .22 rifle, cans of chili and batteries used to charge a cell phone. Deputies believe five men had been staying there but ran when police arrived.

With the suspects long gone, search dog Gordon was harnessed and hauled away by a helicopter.

But the deputies stayed behind, hacking away at row after row of marijuana plants that were to be flown out and destroyed. 

Earlier this month authorities busted another massive marijuana growing operation near Mabton, southeast of Yakima. Several thousand plants were found in a drying shed, and authorities believed some 20,000 plants were involved in the operation.

Prior to this month's busts, drug agents in Yakima County had already had pulled up 54,000 marijuana plants.

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/5lzk24*


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## KGB30 (Aug 13, 2008)

"They'll start them out just like you do your tomato plants at home -- little 2, 3-inchers as soon as the weather starts to break. The final product here is $1,500 per plant," said Lt. Jerry Moore with Chelan County Sheriff's Office."


Nice & expensive plant where do I get one


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## JogaBonito521 (Aug 13, 2008)

Busting a $30 million grow isn't going to do anything against the "war on drugs". Having a shortage of pot will drive prices up, and entice more people to grow. They should just legalize marijuana and tax it. At least they'll be making money that way.


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## SirSmoke-a-Lot (Aug 13, 2008)

Sounds just like the movie homegrown haha except they were rednecks, not mexicans haha... still good fun, but thats gotta suck real bad.


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## growdammit (Aug 13, 2008)

What a waste of taxpayer resources let alone an awful waste of hillside bud!  I tell ya' if I had a nickel everytime some mexican cartel tried to sneak 20,000 tomatoe start bud plants onto hillsides around me!  I wish I had a flat of those $1500/plant stickies!  LOL, the way LEO rates value is unreal.  I have to be growing the wrong strains.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Aug 14, 2008)

KGB30 said:
			
		

> Nice & expensive plant where do I get one


 

Not in Yakima..lol.. 


hey now fruitybud...this one is getting a bit close ...back off..I think theres a big grow going on in the UK...


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## KGB30 (Aug 14, 2008)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> Not in Yakima..lol..
> 
> 
> hey now fruitybud...this one is getting a bit close ...back off..I think theres a big grow going on in the UK...


 



     :hubba:


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## Aurora_Indicas_Dad (Aug 14, 2008)

its always that darn mexican cartel i tell you..ALWAYS!


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## JogaBonito521 (Aug 15, 2008)

cartel = economic inefficiency

...and high prices


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## KGB30 (Aug 15, 2008)

Lets tell Fox...


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## POTUS (Aug 15, 2008)

Distance from where the pot was found to Mexico:

1,028 miles

Mexican Cartel???


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## 4u2sm0ke (Aug 15, 2008)

yeah ...Aerican cartel..lol


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