Thousands of marijuana plants and 1,183 pounds of processed marijuana were confiscated Monday during a raid conducted by an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics’ Marijuana Enforcement Team three miles south of Checotah on Old Highway 69.

Warrants were served by the OBN, the McIntosh County Sheriffs Office and District Task Force at the marijuana growing and processing operation at about 8:45 a.m., July21, at a site between Onapa and Checotah.

OBN officials said the raid was assisted by the Office of Inspector General and County Commissioners offices in McIntosh and Okmulgee counties.

No arrests had been made by press deadline Tuesday.

The warrants were served at the OTOP & OTOC Group.

It is alleged that the operation is part of an ongoing investigation for operating with an OBN Registration obtained by fraud using a ‘straw ownership’ scheme.

Agents seized 3,761 marijuana plants and 1,183 pounds of processed marijuana, along with hundreds of vapes and other marijuana products.

“I want to thank the men and women of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics for their continued work across our state and right here in House District 15 to shut down illegal marijuana grow operations,” OBN Director Donnie Anderson said in a press release.

Anderson said he has made it his mission to ensure Okla- homa is not a top 10 state for black market marijuana, “and that mission is making a real impact. Every time one of these illegal operations is shut down, we take another step toward protecting our communities and controlling black market marijuana sales in Oklahoma.”

Thank you OBN and Director Anderson for your dedication and service.” – Oklahoma House District 15 Representative Tim Turner Since 2021, agents with the OBN’s Marijuana Enforcement Team have shut down over 6,000 illegal marijuana farms through enforcement and/or administrative actions for grows tied to black market trafficking and obtaining an OBN Registration by fraud using ‘straw ownership’ schemes.

At the end of 2022, about 8,400 farms were operating with an active OBN Registration. Today, that number stands at approximately 2,100. Citizens can anonymously report criminal drug and human trafficking activity to OBN’s tip-line at 800-522-8031 or sending OBN a Facebook DM.