POT BUSTS TOUTED TO HIT $50M

Drug unit detectives are banking on a record year which could see them
seize up to $50 million in marijuana by busting undercover grow operations.

And citizens, who offer about 300 tips a year, are pivotal in helping weed
out suspects profiting from the organized crime.

"The drug unit has had a lot of success this year, preventing marijuana
from hitting our streets," said unit Staff Sgt. Roger Chaffin. "It's
important for the community to realize we can't do this without their help."

Earlier this week, police busted a grow operation at a Hidden Valley Dr.
home where officers found 309 plants and $38,000 in cash -- the result of
an anonymous tip.

"This is becoming more and more the norm," Det. Pat Tetley said yesterday.
"Each plant is worth a minimum of $1,400 and there are over 300 plants with
three crops per year -- you do the math."

About $4.5 million worth of marijuana at 14 grow operations has been seized
with 58 criminal charges laid against 18 people this year.

Police are on pace to do five times more pot seizures this year than last
when they pulled in about $10 million worth of weed.