RAIDS NET POUNDS OF POT-LACED CANDY

Feds Arrest 12, Seize Marijuana Plants, Cash And Weapons From Massive
East Bay Operation

OAKLAND - It looks like candy, but check the label on the Keef Kat or
the Pot Tarts: "This product contains cannabis and is for medical
purposes only."

Hundreds of boxes of such pot-laced candy, treats and soda pop - all
with labels mimicking name-brand products - plus thousands of
marijuana plants, $150,000 in cash and several weapons were seized
Thursday in five simultaneous Drug Enforcement Administration raids
in Oakland, Emeryville and Lafayette. Authorities called it the
largest West Coast manufacturing and distribution operation of its
type. Twelve people were arrested without incident, DEA Special Agent
Javier Pena said as he displayed samples of the candy and sodas in
DEA offices in the federal building in downtown Oakland. Suspect
Kenneth Affolter, 39, of Lafayette was identified as the head of the
candy-making operation. All 12 suspects will be arraigned today in
San Francisco federal court on charges of distribution of marijuana.

"We've seen a few of these products out there, but never in this
magnitude," DEA Special Agent Lawrence Mendosa said. "It's the
largest marijuana factory we've ever seen. Hundreds and hundreds of
boxes. They were cooking the candies in a kitchen facility, labeling,
packaging it and shipping it, mainly from the Oakland warehouse on
the Emeryville border.

"But the real concern is for public safety," he said. "If a 4- or
5-year-old who is too young to read finds this in a house, picks it
up and eats it thinking it's real candy, it could be disastrous."

The Oakland-area investigation began in October, when authorities
received information that Affolter was operating Beyond Bomb, a
manufacturer of marijuana candy.

Nearly 70 agents served three warrants Thursday at warehouses on the
Oakland-Emeryville border, including a warehouse on Yerba Buena
Avenue near Adeline. One warrant was served in downtown Oakland at a
narrow, nondescript building at 1740 Telegraph Ave., and another at
Affolter's Lafayette residence.

Agents found four sophisticated indoor marijuana growing areas,
thousands of marijuana plants, about $150,000 in cash, two
semiautomatic weapons, one revolver and hundreds of pot-laced
packaged candy bars, snacks and soft drinks.

"It was basically various manufacturing locations and sophisticated
growing operations," Mendosa said. "The products we seized are likely
worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's a very lucrative business."

He said the products were packaged in large boxes, wholesale-style,
to be distributed to cannabis clubs and over the Internet.

Oakland medical marijuana advocate Angel Raich - who coincidentally
was arrested Thursday in front of the federal building for disobeying
an officer's commands while protesting recent Southern California DEA
raids - said these were legitimate medical marijuana manufacturers
under California law.

"They were all real operations," Raich said. "The one on Telegraph,
they make candy for the dispensaries. It's for medical purposes."

Mendosa said that's not a factor.

"It's illegal under federal law. Period," he said.

At first glance, the products appear as well-known name-brand
products with modified names, such as Munchy Way, Rasta Reece's,
Buddafingers, Pot Tarts, Keef Kat, Twixed, Budtella and Toka-Cola.
The packaging comes complete with nutrition labels and dosage recommendations.

The Richmond, Oakland, Vallejo and Lafayette police departments
assisted in the probe, along with the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement,
the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Alameda
County Narcotics Task Force.