MARIJUANA SEIZURE'S POTENTIAL VALUE MORE THAN $100 MILLION

The value of marijuana eradicated in a raid along Highway 70 was in
excess of $100 million, the Butte County Sheriff's Office reported Thursday.

A total of 25,282 marijuana plants were eradicated three gardens
between Pulga and the Plumas County line.

The plants ranged from one to seven feet tall, with a street value at
full maturity put at $101,128,000.

The Butte County Sheriff's Marijuana Suppression Unit located the
gardens during routine aerial reconnaissance missions in early July.

Subsequent surveillance and investigation found trails that led from
Highway 70 up to the garden areas on steep terrain and under thick
canopies of brush and trees.

On Monday, the Marijuana Suppression Unit, backed up by SWAT teams
from the Sheriff's Office and Chico and Yuba City police, and the
Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force, raided the three gardens.

Suspects were seen and pursued, but evaded arrest by crashing through
the thick brush and going headlong over steep embankments.

After the three gardens had been secured, teams of personnel were
placed into the gardens to begin cutting down the plants and loading
the marijuana plants into nets.

The marijuana plants were then airlifted by Butte County Sheriff's
helicopter to dump trucks waiting down at Highway 70.

The western-most garden had 8,706 growing plants. Eight areas for
sleeping were located throughout this garden with a couple of
different areas for processing the harvested marijuana.

The middle garden held 4,687.

Two suspects were seen fleeing the garden. A processing area was
located with indications a large amount of marijuana had already been
harvested.

Also located in one of the suspect's pack was a loaded 9 mm
semi-automatic handgun.

11,889 marijuana plants were eradicated from this garden, along with
multiple pounds of processed marijuana.

All three gardens had areas where brush and trees had been cleared to
make room for the plants. The elaborate plots were irrigated with
black tubing from nearby creeks.

Also assisting in the raid were Search and Rescue volunteers,
Sheriff's Office communication reserves, the Civil Air Patrol and
Butte County Public Works.