SEIZED POT VALUED AT $80 MILLION

Law enforcement officials say the marijuana seized in a series of
raids Friday on homes used for indoor-growing operations -- at least
three of which are in the Corona area -- was worth up to $80 million.

Seven people had been taken into custody, but the department would not
release their names because the investigation is continuing, Riverside
County Sheriff's Investigator Juan Zamora said in a news release
issued late Friday night.

The locations of the homes, other than that they all are in Southern
California, were not included in the news release.

On Saturday, sheriff's spokesman Craig Roberts said he had no other
information about where the searches happened.

San Bernardino Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Roberts said Saturday she
had no further information.

Each home had a sophisticated cultivation system that included
1,000-watt sun lamps, power box converters, industrial-sized air
purifiers, wall fans and several hundred gallons of liquid fertilizer,
according to the release.

Each home also had drip irrigation and water-recycling systems.

Over a period of several months, each home used more than $30,000
worth of electricity without paying for it, according to the release.

The raids Friday included homes in the 14100 block of Sugarcreek
Circle in Eastvale and the 1900 block of Eureka Street in Corona.

Corona officials said the Corona Fire Department's hazardous materials
team helped authorities at a raid in the 2400 block of Simon Circle in
Corona.

The searches began about 10 a.m. when swarms of officers went to at
least 10 separate homes, Zamora said.

The release said more than 14,000 marijuana plants were seized from
the homes. Every room in the homes had been converted into marijuana
nurseries.