Officers from the Wilton Police Department and investigators from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) busted a massive illegal marijuana cultivation facility Tuesday during a routine inspection, according to a Wednesday Wilton Police press release.
[RELATED: Raid on Illegal Chinese Marijuana Operation in Western Maine Seizes Illicit Drugs Worth $1M+…]
Wilton Police say that on Tuesday, Nov. 28, officers from the Wilton Police Department assisted OCP investigators in conducting a routine follow up inspection at a licensed marijuana cultivation facility at a property on Weld Road in Wilton.
During the inspection, Wilton Police say they received information “that someone had constructed another, unlicensed marijuana cultivation facility in a different building on the property.”
Officers made contact with the owner of the property, Travis Gray of Travis Gray Trucking, who came to escort the officers, OCP investigators, and Wilton Code Enforcement into the interior of the building.
Inside the building, Wilton Police say they discovered an unlicensed marijuana cultivation facility which contained approximately 1,211 illegally cultivated live marijuana plants, and approximately 200 lbs. of illegally cultivated dried marijuana.
The total value of the illegally cultivated marijuana is estimated to be $1,000,000.
The Wilton Police Department seized the illegally grown marijuana and destroyed it as contraband.
“The owner of the property on Weld Road has no connection to the internal operations of either the licensed or unlicensed marijuana cultivation facility,” Wilton Police stated Wednesday. “The identity of the person or persons responsible for the unlicensed marijuana cultivation facility remains under investigation at this time.”
“I didn’t have any knowledge,” Travis Gray, the property owner, told the Maine Wire Tuesday. “I did cooperate to the best of my ability, of course. That’s about all I know.”
“You try to do the best you can, do good business, and unfortunately some people don’t do right. That’s just how it is,” he said. “The rest of it is between the law enforcement and those guys.”
The Wilton Police Department was assisted in their investigation by OCP investigators, Wilton Code Enforcement, Wilton Fire Department, and Wilton Public Works.
“We were not involved in the Wilton raid. You would need to contact the Wilton PD” said a Maine State Police spokesperson.
A spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency also was not involved.
The Maine Wire visited the Wilton site in mid-November as part of an investigation into more than 100 properties in Maine which operate as unlicensed marijuana grow facilities and owned by Chinese nationals.
[Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine]
The Office of Cannabis Policy, the state agency that regulates legal marijuana businesses in Maine, has told the Maine Wire that it has no authority to investigate marijuana growing operations that are purely illegal.
Only two other properties in Maine have been raided by law enforcement, one in Carmel and one in Dexter.
TRIAD WEED
- How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine
- State Law Enforcement, Feds Struggle to Clamp Down on Illegal Chinese Drug Operations in Maine
- Maine Legislature Will Consider Proposal to Fight Chinese-owned Marijuana Operations
- Collins, Golden Renew Call for DOJ Action Against Illicit Chinese Marijuana Grows Following Maine Wire Report
…remember when it was all hands on deck to root out illegal marijuana grows? You know, choppers in the sky, EVERY available law enforcement entity that could be mustered…just for a few plants!? Me too. As an aside, hard to comprehend the property owner had no clue what was going on at his ‘industrial’ complex. We have devolved into lawlessness!
I’m assuming that someone is sticking to the old rule of “follow the money” in stories like this that are spreading like wildfire. The bigger the revenue stream, the more it attracts “curious” individuals, who have a way of becoming a part of the overhead cost structure.
Did you see the national spot on the Ingraham Angle last night? Steve Robinson has now achieved national attention on this story. There was a Sheriff type who was on a split screen with him.
I tried to find the video clip on the FNC site, but did not.
I loved the comment from the “OCP” , “The Office of Cannabis Policy, the state agency that regulates legal marijuana businesses in Maine, has told the Maine Wire that it has no authority to investigate marijuana growing operations that are purely illegal.”
Isn’t that what they were set up to do !!! Inspection legal grow operatios to make sure they are legal!!!???? Why do WE PAY THESE PEOPLE
@Craig
Their job is to harass legal growers and look for fines and penalties. The legal weed business couldn’t pass without an “oversight” of some form. Friends and family of political operatives are given job placement and pick and choose targets based on whether its worth enough $$$ to squeeze. The fact that over 50% of medical cannabis was found to contain harmful contaminants and pesticides means they are not an effective agency.
When weed processing facilities cant find enough “certified” medical grade they fill the gap with black market cannabis. The Chinese are dumping some here for money laundering and funding more grows, the rest gets moved by Chinese courier and Mexican cartels out of state.
Wilton Police stated Wednesday. “The identity of the person or persons responsible for the unlicensed marijuana cultivation facility remains under investigation at this time.”
They cant tell us who the Chinese nationals are because we dont vet “asylum seekers”. They have no idea who these guys are and unless they go full gitmo never will. Is this the “escaping persecution” or “American Dream” Seeker?
Anyway, time for a distraction. We cant do Maine NeoNazis with democrats waving swastikas at pro Palestine marches. Hopefully Kings gun grab and ban will steal the spotlight.
PS Im not reposting the comment you deleted, yet. Hopefully youre doing something useful with it and dont forget the screenshot. They spend evert day combing your articles and comments for leads. Ive seen “updates” after you guys break stories, its sad really. Best of luck.