Northern Minn. drug bust nets $1M worth of marijuana

Marijuana bust
Police in northern Minnesota busted this marijuana grow operation in a series of raids. The total street value of the marijuana was more than $1 million, police said.
Photo courtesy Cloquet Police Department

Police in northeastern Minnesota police have seized marijuana plants allegedly worth more than $1 million on the street.

In multiple raids, police seized 927 high-grade marijuana plants and 22 pounds of processed, high-grade marijuana, as well as firearms and growing equipment.

Police say an anonymous tip alerted investigators to the hydroponic growing operation, which was located at several residences located in St. Louis and Carlton Counties, near Duluth.

St. Louis County Sheriff's Investigator Brent Donahue says the bust is the largest of its kind in the area in recent memory.

"It is a fairly large growing operation. I think they had a larger one on the Iron Range but that was an outdoor operation and I don't know that the quality of the product was as good as what we are seeing with these indoor grows," Donahue said.

The investigation is ongoing. Donahue says authorities suspect all of the residences were working for the same operation.

"There are five individuals that are involved so far, but their level of involvement is unknown right now," he said. "Charges will be coming out or a warrant will be issued its not going to go away."

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