Police in Oregon have shut down a suspected drug trafficking organisation after discovering an estimated $20 million worth of illegal marijuana spread across six sites in Marion and Clackamas counties. Oregon State Police (OSP) announced the results of the operation on 11 September.

The scale of what officers found is hard to ignore. Over three days, investigators from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Task Force and the OSP Drug Enforcement Section seized more than 110,000 plants and over 81,000 pounds of bulk marijuana. They also recovered 86 firearms and $11,500 in cash.

Two investigations, one set of suspects

The case began with the community. Both agencies opened separate investigations after receiving complaints from local people. As detectives followed those leads, they uncovered several more illicit cannabis grows and realised they were chasing the same suspects.

Joining forces proved decisive. Together, the two teams moved on all six locations, bringing the operation to a halt.

People living without basic shelter

The seizure figures tell only part of the story. Officers found people living and working at the sites without adequate shelter, plumbing, running water or electricity.

In total, 55 workers were at the locations. Investigators are still working to establish whether they were there through coercion, fraud or force, a question that points to possible human trafficking.

Service providers arrived to support them. Help included crisis intervention, food and water, safety planning, emergency transportation to safety, and connections to emergency shelter and housing. Safety Compass, the Anti-Trafficking Project and the Cannabis Workers Resilience Partnership took part as providers and victim advocates.

Damage beyond the grow rooms

The fallout was not limited to people. Various county and state agencies examined environmental crimes linked to the sites, including pesticide and fertiliser runoff, water use and unlawful disposal of solid waste. Illegal marijuana production, it seems, can leave its mark on land and water as well as on lives.

One charge so far

A 35 year old woman from California has been charged with unlawful manufacture of a marijuana item and unlawful possession of a marijuana item. The investigation is continuing.

Why it matters

Set the numbers side by side and the picture is sobering: 86 firearms, 55 people in poor conditions, and six sites within two counties. For the neighbours who first raised the alarm, this was never a victimless trade. The Oregon case is a reminder that illegal marijuana operations can bring weapons, exploitation and pollution to ordinary communities, and that public reports can help bring them to light.

Source: statesmanjournal