Pubdate: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 Source: Redding Record Searchlight (CA) Copyright: 1999 Redding Record Searchlight - E.W. Scripps Contact: PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 Website: http://www.redding.com/ Forum: http://www.redding.com/disc2_frm.htm Author: Stephen Green, Scripps-McClatchy Western Service NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MARIJUANA CONFISCATED SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A record 241,164 marijuana plants with a wholesale value of $965 million were confiscated during this year's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, Attorney General Bill Lockyer reported Tuesday. "This was the most successful year in the 17-year history of the CAMP program," Lockyer said. The previous record was 166,219 plants in 1985. Lockyer estimated the marijuana seized this year could have produced 219 million marijuana cigarettes. The 1999 program involved agents from state and federal governments as well as 70 local governments who raided marijuana gardens in 19 counties under the supervision of the state Justice Department's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. Agents were divided among three teams, which went into the field in July and stayed until the harvest was over in mid-October. In addition to seizing and destroying plants, they arrested 23 people and confiscated 14 weapons. Lockyer noted that in recent years there has been a shift in operations from traditional North Coast gardens to larger plantations in Central and Southern California as foreign drug cartels have become more involved in the trade. "Marijuana farms are emerging on public lands," Lockyer said. "These are very large operations, often planted in rows like commercial crops. This trend represents a dangerous situation to hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts who may stumble upon a grower prepared to defend a multi-million dollar crop," Lockyer said. Nonetheless, agents confiscated the most plants _ 63,107 _ in Mendocino County on the north coast. Second was San Benito County, where 52,031 plants were taken, followed by Fresno County with 51,964 plants destroyed. No raids were conducted in Sacramento-area counties. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D