millions-of-dollars-in-illegal-cannabis-discovered-in-east-bay-raid-in-california

A cannabis raid in the Bay Area of California, or possibly two unconnected raids that happened one day apart from each other, resulted in the seizure of almost $34 million in plants. Guns and cash were also seized. 

The raid busted three illegal cannabis grow operations total and seized product, money, and weapons from the sites that were hit by the bust.

The Department of Cannabis Control in California reports that on Feb. 2, search warrants were served in Oakland and Hayward to look more into these illicit grows. 

On Thursday, Jan. 26, in the initial Hayward raid, 836 plants worth more than $22.1 million were seized. Authorities also confiscated 2,720 pounds of cannabis flower worth more than $4.49 million. Those raiding the grows also took AR-style, semi automatic rifles from the illegal facilities, as well as handguns and $68,841 in cash. 

On Feb. 3, the Department of Fish and Wildlife carried out the Oakland raids and seized 7,113 plants with more than $5.8 million and more than 900 pound of processed cannabis flower worth $1.49 million 

A full break down of the property and money seized between the two raids is below: 

  • 26,836 illegal cannabis plants valued at $22,139,700
  • 2,720 pounds of illegal cannabis flower valued at $4,488,000
  • 2 firearms (one AR-style semi-automatic rifle and one handgun)
  • $68,841 in cash
  • 7,113 illegal cannabis plants valued at $5,868,225
  • 906 pounds of processed flower valued at $1,494,900

Total in Illegal Cannabis Seized in Raids

In total, $33.9 million in illegal cannabis was seized during the three operations, as reported by the official who carried them out. This was a large raid even for illegal California cannabis standards, as it cleared the $30 million mark. However, it is not officially confirmed, only speculated, that the two seizures were connected in some way or that the grows were run by the same people.

So far, no arrests have been announced, and information on the busts is still being gathered from authorities. The authorities who seized the cannabis are working collaboratively with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in order to get the financial estimates provided in the reports. 

This is not the first time that raids happen specifically in the Oakland area even this year. In late January, almost $34 million in cannabis was seized from one warehouse in Oakland. That bust saw 30,000 cannabis plants and 2,720 pounds of cannabis seized.

The Department of Cannabis Control told the press that they seized a handgun and an “AR-style rifle” along with the cannabis from the home of one of the suspects. 

“This search warrant operation was part of a large-scale marijuana cultivation and tax evasion investigation,” Lt. Miguel Félix Ibarra with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office told the San Francisco Gate in an email regarding the busts and the product that was seized. “Two large warehouses located on these properties had been converted into sophisticated marijuana cultivation facilities.”

That raid took place on January 26 and 27 and took place across the city at separate warehouses that were used as grows and to house the cannabis and firearms.

SF Gate also reported that on January 10, $3 million in cannabis was seized at Livermore warehouse. In 2021, the largest illegal raid in the history of the area took place when $42 million in plants and dollars was seized in San Leandro.

Details of this raid have yet to come to light, but it is clear that the illicit cannabis problem in the Bay Area of California is far from over.

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