Thousands of marijuana plants seized in Sand Springs raid

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics seized thousands of marijuana plants from a grow facility in Sand Springs on Friday. Agents say the operation was part of a black market network.

What happened at the grow facility in Sand Springs?

Agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics served a search warrant Friday at a marijuana grow operation just off Charles Page Boulevard in Sand Springs. OBN says it’s part of an ongoing investigation.

Mark Woodward, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics: “We ended up seizing about 7,500 marijuana plants, as well as nearly 580 pounds of processed marijuana.”

Why was the facility targeted?

Investigators say the facility had been under surveillance for a while. They believed it was tied to black market marijuana sales.

Woodward: “We’ve been looking at a number of marijuana businesses… that are operating with licenses obtained by fraud, using straw owners… That’s 100% black market.”

What laws are being broken in cases like this?

Oklahoma law requires that at least 75% of a marijuana business be owned by someone who has lived in the state for at least two years. OBN says criminal groups are skirting this rule by using fake ownership documents.

Woodward: “[They] will find somebody locally to put down as your 75% owner. And so that’s 100% fraud.”

Have any arrests been made?

Not yet. However, investigators say they’ve already interviewed people associated with the grow and expect charges in the future.

Woodward: “They are being interviewed, and we’re going to go forward from there and see where it leads.”

How common are these raids in Oklahoma?

OBN says it’s still serving two to four search warrants every week across the state.

Woodward: “We know many of those 2,100 that are operating right now... are tied to organized crime, and so we’re going to keep after it.”

What’s next in the investigation?

The case remains under investigation, and OBN says it’s committed to continuing its efforts to shut down illegal operations across the state.

Can the public report suspicious grows?

Yes. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics encourages anyone who suspects illegal activity to report it anonymously through their tip line or by messaging the agency's Facebook page.

News On 6 attempted to contact the number listed for the grow operation. It was not in service.