Georgia law enforcement officials thought they were raiding an illegal food manufacturing plant before discovering $22.5 million in marijuana plants last week, authorities said Tuesday.
Four Chinese citizens found themselves in handcuffs following the discovery of an illegal marijuana cultivation operation in Pierce County. The suspects, identified as Zhu Sheng Bing, Jinpeng Ma, Chenhui Shu, and Wei Sheng Deng, were apprehended and now face charges related to felony possession of marijuana, with additional trafficking charges anticipated, as per authorities.
Tyler Harper, Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner, highlighted the alarming reality of criminal activity penetrating even the agriculture sector. During a press conference detailing the bust, Harper emphasized the need for vigilance, stating, “The agriculture industry is not immune to criminal activity.”
According to Deng’s arrest booking report, he has been detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), while the other three suspects were reportedly in the U.S. legally. All four individuals are presently being held without bail.
The investigation into the illicit operation began approximately four weeks prior to the arrests, initiated by suspicions surrounding a purported rural food manufacturing facility. Pierce County Sheriff Ramsey Bennett revealed that individuals associated with the facility allegedly informed an undercover law enforcement officer about their involvement in cultivating an “edible food product.”
The culmination of the investigation resulted in a significant bust last week, as authorities executed a search warrant and uncovered over 11,000 marijuana plants within the facility’s premises. Shockingly, the operation had been active since 2022, according to Bennett.
The sheriff shed light on the far-reaching connections of the operation, noting ties extending from Staten Island, New York, to the Houston metropolitan area. He emphasized that this was no ordinary backyard operation, stating, “This wasn’t your average south Georgia countrymen with a few plants in the backyard or a few plants in the closet.”
The arrests underscore the persistent efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat illegal drug trafficking operations, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and collaborative efforts to address criminal activities within communities.
—
Online:
Fox News agency contributed to this report, published by ORDO News editors.
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.
To eliminate any confusion arising from different time zones and daylight saving changes, all times displayed on our platforms are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).