Oakland police raid enormous marijuana operation; seize $1 million worth of pot
on April 26, 2012
The Oakland Police Department announced Thursday that officers had raided a commercial building in East Oakland and seized approximately $1 million worth of marijuana as well as a stash of weapons and body armor.
Weapons, body armor and ammunition seized by police during the raid. Photo courtesy OPD.
Officers from the department’s Crime Reduction, Problem Solving Officers and SWAT teams swept the building at 9 am Thursday, recovering 2,500 marijuana plants, 50 pounds of dried marijuana, and $40,000 in cash. Among the weapons seized were two assault rifles, four hand guns, one shotgun and two sets of body armor and ballistic helmets. Police described the firearms as “illegally possessed.”
Eleven people were arrested, although the police have not released their names at this time.
The OPD describes the warehouse on the 900 block of 89th Avenue near the Coliseum complex as “a commercial building equipped with high-end sophisticated video surveillance equipment” and with reinforced-steel interior doors. The building is not permitted as a medical marijuana dispensary, according to the police press release.
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