Authorities announced Tuesday they seized one of the largest amounts of black-market marijuana in the state’s history.
Authorities said more than 36 tons of the illegally grown crop were captured last week in Wagoner and Lincoln counties, one of the biggest seizures in state history.
The drug bust was organized by the state Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force, which was established earlier this year.
“Our state has been overrun with criminals who are trafficking drugs in our local communities and throughout the country,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a news release. “I will not tolerate this serious threat to public safety. I am proud of the work of the Organized Crime Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to eliminate this blight on our communities.”
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Thousands of pounds of illegal marijuana seized from two separate grows
On Nov. 9, the task force executed a search warrant on a Wagoner County business where agents found more than 72,000 pounds of black-market marijuana inside a metal barn.
Assisting in the seizure were Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, the Wagoner County sheriff’s office, Wagoner County commissioners and the Wagoner County Emergency Management Office.
Later that same day, the task force assisted the medical marijuana authority in the inspection of a Lincoln County medical marijuana grow operation.
Agents found untagged and untraceable marijuana in a car on the premises. They said the discovery led to the execution of another search warrant that yielded 250 pounds of illegal marijuana.
The Lincoln County sheriff’s office assisted the task force and the authority in executing the search warrant.
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“We’re grateful to partner with Attorney General Drummond in this fight against illicit operators who continually attempt to find respite behind the backdrop of the legitimate medical marijuana industry,” authority Executive Director Adria Berry said in a news release. “This collaboration sends a strong message that criminal activity isn’t welcome in our medical cannabis program.”
The newly formed task force works closely with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes related to illegal marijuana grow operations, including human trafficking and the distribution of deadly drugs such as fentanyl.
House Bill 2095, which was signed into law earlier this year, gives the task force – in conjunction with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation – full enforcement authority over medical marijuana laws.
H/T: www.oklahoman.com
