[Sativa]

Law enforcement officials uprooted more than 8,000 marijuana plants valued at more than $8 million in a 10-day statewide operation that ended yesterday on Kaua'i.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, police officers from four counties, Hawai'i Air National Guard, Coast Guard and state Department of Land & Natural Resources conducted the annual "Super Mission" operation, formerly known as "Green Harvest."

The sweep began last Tuesday on the Big Island, moved to Maui and Moloka'i over the weekend, O'ahu on Monday and Tuesday, and finished up on Kaua'i Wednesday and yesterday.

Narcotics/Vice Capt. Kerry Inouye of the Honolulu Police Department said 584 marijuana plants weighing 161 pounds were removed from various O'ahu sites. The plants ranged in size from seedlings to 4 feet, according to Inouye.

Based on the street value of $1,000 per plant, the haul on O'ahu was worth an estimated $584,000, Inouye said.

DEA officials declined yesterday to release a tally count on this year's operation; The Advertiser obtained totals from all but Maui County.

The largest haul came last week on the Big Island, although only figures from the East Hawai'i operation were immediately available.

The task force removed 6,298 marijuana plants last Tuesday and Wednesday in a sweep in East Hawai'i from Hamakua to Puna, officials said.

The two-day effort on Kaua'i yielded 1,060 plants, said Narcotics/Vice Lt. Michael Contrades.

"We're pleased the operation was very successful," Contrades said in a county news release yesterday.



News Hawk- User http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: The Honolulu Advertiser
Author: Rod Ohira
Contact: rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com
Copyright: 2007 The Honolulu Advertiser
Website: Statewide marijuana operation nets 8,000 plants worth $8M