[OG Kush]

Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies seized and destroyed on Monday five marijuana gardens hidden on Mount Hamilton that yielded more than 20,000 pot plants.

Authorities said that at maturity, the plants would have had a street value of more than $80 million.

The gardens, spread about a half-mile apart, appeared to be tended by cultivators who camped out there, Deputy Serg Palanov said. Deputies found cooking utensils, food and a tent. They also found a loaded .22-caliber rifle at one campsite -- but no caretakers.

The camp was hidden among acres of woods. Because of the steep, wooded terrain, authorities had to airlift out the 920 pounds of marijuana plants, Palanov said.

So far this year, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Marijuana Suppression Team has seized and destroyed more than 7,000 marijuana plants with a total street value of more than $280 million.

Three suspects have been arrested in raids this year. Two of them were arrested in connection with other pot gardens found on Mount Hamilton in July.

Monday's operation was carried out in conjunction with the Department of Justice, California Department of Fish and Game, Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team and Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, a multiagency law enforcement task force.


Newshawk: SX420 - 420Girls.com
Source: 420Times.com
Pubdate: Wed, 09 Aug 2006
Author: Ilene Lelchuk
Copyright: 2006 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: letters@sfchronicle.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/