Major marijuana smuggling ring in Colorado: 8 arrests, 3,000 plants and 450 pounds seized
The Weld County Drug Task Force has arrested eight people for their suspected involvement in a large marijuana smuggling ring operating in Greeley, Windsor and Frederick.
Lt. Steve Black of the Greeley Police Department, who leads the task force, said the arrests came as officers served six warrants — four in Greeley, one in Windsor and one in Frederick.
During their raids, officers found 3,313 plants and about 460 pounds of finished marijuana. Police estimate the plants are worth about $5 million while the finished drug is valued at $736,000, but Black estimated a pound of marijuana could sell for a price four times higher on the East Coast. Task force members believe the marijuana was primarily sold on the East Coast, but some likely was sold in Colorado.
Police believe the drug organization’s members rented multiple houses in residential neighborhoods throughout Weld County to use as grow houses. Black confirmed the investigation is ongoing and said it is complicated because detectives may have to determine if homeowners were complicit in the illegal operations.
Read the full article at GreeleyTribune.com
From top left: Gao Gong, Rong Ye, Hua Lin, Zhqiang Zhou, Xin Chen, and Jui Lin. (Photos provided by Weld County Drug Task Force)
