A Nov. 29 search warrant in the small town of Philomath, Oregon, led to the discovery of 4,000 marijuana plants growing in a warehouse and the arrest of five suspects allegedly connected with a Chinese organized crime group headquartered in New York, according to Philomath Chief of Police Ken Rueben.
During the raid, police arrested Jianhua Chen, Yushen Chen, Shuiqing Hu, Zining Huang, and Weiming Wu at the site. All face felony charges related to possession, delivery, and unlawful manufacturing of marijuana.
Police in Oregon are prohibited by law from asking about nationality or immigration status. suspects communicated through an interpreter.
“This is the second major operation we’ve been a part of that involved Chinese operators,” Albany Police Captain Brad Liles told Pezou. earlier operation resulted in 12 arrests and charges included racketeering, money laundering, criminal conspiracy, unlawful manufacturing of marijuana, and identity theft.
Both investigations involved officers from multiple police departments, two county sheriff’s offices, Oregon State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, members of the special Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement team, and more.
Oregon is now plagued by illegal marijuana operations.
“Drug traffickers have flocked here from every state in the nation and nearly a dozen countries,” including China, Russia, Bulgaria, and Argentina, Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel told Pezou.
“In the past year and a half, we’ve made the largest marijuana seizures we’ve ever been involved with,” added Liles. “We’re seeing operations with as many as 10,000 plants. And the amount of money is just ridiculous.”
His department recently participated in the seizure of 1,400 pounds from one U-Haul truck traveling south on Interstate 5.
In southern Oregon, most growing takes place outdoors because of its mild climate. Liles described the sophisticated indoor growing operations recently associated with Chinese operators further north.
“Growers convert a house, barn, or large outbuilding and retrofit it with lighting, ballasts, and hydroponics that operate on timers,” he said. Automation means these operations require less manpower during cultivation.
Philomath operation was in a two-story warehouse structure with 11 rooms and 5,000 square feet, Chief Reuben explained. It contained plants in varying stages—from “starts” to fully-grown plants ready to harvest. facility used generators, air filtration devices, and electronically controlled temperature and humidity based on the age of the plants.
Reuben said a high electricity bill and a vehicle registration led to the Philomath search warrant. Law enforcement tracked a vehicle that had been making drug deliveries in Portland back to the property. A check of the power bill showed that consumption at the site was unusually high.
“An indoor grow house typically uses as much energy as 10 homes,” Rick Fromme of Apex Data Consulting told Pezou. “Where a typical house may have a bill of less than $200, a grow house will be in the thousands.”
Though indoor operations differ from the outdoor growing typical of southern Oregon, they share the common trait of hiding in plain sight, Liles explained.
Growers use legal hemp farming operations as cover for illegal marijuana operations. Registered farms are not required to allow inspectors in.
“When an operation is surrounded by four walls and a roof, it’s even more difficult to know if they’re really growing hemp,” said Liles.
Pezou : Indoor Illegal Marijuana Grows in Oregon Tied to Chinese Organized Crime