Mount Hamilton

DEPUTIES DESTROY 920 POUNDS OF POT WORTH $80 MILLION

Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies seized and destroyed on Monday
five marijuana gardens hidden on Mount Hamilton that yielded more than
20,000 pot plants.

Authorities said that at maturity, the plants would have had a street
value of more than $80 million.

The gardens, spread about a half-mile apart, appeared to be tended by
cultivators who camped out there, Deputy Serg Palanov said. Deputies
found cooking utensils, food and a tent. They also found a loaded
.22-caliber rifle at one campsite -- but no caretakers.

The camp was hidden among acres of woods. Because of the steep, wooded
terrain, authorities had to airlift out the 920 pounds of marijuana
plants, Palanov said.

So far this year, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Marijuana
Suppression Team has seized and destroyed more than 7,000 marijuana
plants with a total street value of more than $280 million.

Three suspects have been arrested in raids this year. Two of them were
arrested in connection with other pot gardens found on Mount Hamilton
in July.

Monday's operation was carried out in conjunction with the Department
of Justice, California Department of Fish and Game, Unified Narcotics
Enforcement Team and Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, a
multiagency law enforcement task force.