MARIJUANA INVESTIGATIONS NTF TEAM 9 NARCOTIC TASK FORCE TEAM 9 - - PDF document

▶
marijuana investigations ntf team 9
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

MARIJUANA INVESTIGATIONS NTF TEAM 9 NARCOTIC TASK FORCE TEAM 9 - - PDF document

Aug 21, 2023 211 likes •569 views

3/5/2018 MARIJUANA INVESTIGATIONS NTF TEAM 9 NARCOTIC TASK FORCE TEAM 9 Indoor marijuana cultivation operations Outdoor marijuana cultivation operations Clandestine THC extraction labs (BHO labs) Although we are the marijuana team,

slide-1
SLIDE 1

3/5/2018 1

MARIJUANA INVESTIGATIONS NTF TEAM 9

NARCOTIC TASK FORCE TEAM 9

  • Indoor marijuana cultivation operations
  • Outdoor marijuana cultivation operations
  • Clandestine THC extraction labs (BHO labs)
  • Although we are the marijuana team, our

primary focus is on DOMESTIC CANNABIS.

slide-2
SLIDE 2

3/5/2018 2

HOW DID WE GET HERE!!!

  • Prior to 1996

– Cartel Grows

  • Outdoor grows
  • 1996 Compassionate Use Act (Prop 215)

– Outdoor grows – Indoor grows – Marijuana Dispensaries

  • 2010 Formation of Team 9

– Investigations

WHERE WE ARE TODAY

  • Outdoor grows
  • Indoor grows
  • Marijuana Dispensaries
  • Delivery Services
  • Investigations reveal Mexican Drug Cartels

involved with “Medical Marijuana”

  • 2012 San Diego begins seeing THC Extraction

Labs

  • Nov 8, 2016 – California legalizes “Recreational

Marijuana” Prop 64

YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT

  • INDOOR GROWS

– What they are – Dangers

  • OUTDOOR GROWS

– Where they are – Dangers

  • THC EXTRACTION LABS

– What are they – Dangers

slide-3
SLIDE 3

3/5/2018 3

INDOOR GROWS

  • POTENTIAL DANGERS

– Electrical – Fire – Mold – Flooding – Structural damage – Code violations – Contamination from disposal of contaminated water. – Chemical

INDOOR GROWS ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

  • Ballasts
  • Fans
  • A/C units / Dehumidifiers
  • Pumps & timers
  • High Intensity Discharge Lights
  • Electrical upgrades not to code
  • Bypasses

– And then add water to the equation

slide-4
SLIDE 4

3/5/2018 4

ANY ELECTRICAL HAZARDS??? CIRCUIT OVERLOAD CHEMICAL HAZARDS

  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Propane Generators
  • Refrigerants
  • Mercury from bulbs
  • Numerous chemicals are used in indoor grows

to promote plant growth and to control insects/pests/disease.

slide-5
SLIDE 5

3/5/2018 5

STRUCTURAL

slide-6
SLIDE 6

3/5/2018 6

THEFT OF ELECTRICITY

  • What’s the cost?

–Theft of electricity costs energy companies billions of dollars each year, while posing a significant risk to life and property.

WHO IS REALLY PAYING FOR IT?

  • Indoor growers are using scams to get electricity

at reduced rates:

– Low Income – Non Profit – Medical Equipment – Medical Patients

Even with these reduced rates, growers frequently steal electricity, often times undetectable to Law Enforcement.

slide-7
SLIDE 7

3/5/2018 7 BYPASS

Allows growers to go undetected for high energy usage related to marijuana cultivation and allow them to steal electricity.

slide-8
SLIDE 8

3/5/2018 8

This bypass powered this room. This room. Another set of sub-panels in the garage off the same bypass.

slide-9
SLIDE 9

3/5/2018 9

To supply an additional grow area located in the garage of the residence. This one connection accounted for un-metered energy supplied to the grow for the amount of $170,000.00.

FIRE

slide-10
SLIDE 10

3/5/2018 10

This address along with three other related addresses amounted to: Residence #1 - $170,000.00 - $190,000.00 Residence #2 - $180,000.00 - $220,000.00 Residence #3 - $143,660.00 - $153,493.00 Residence #4 - $1,241,281.00 - $1,299,941.00 Totaling $1,734,941.00 - $1,863,434.00

Residence #1 Residence #2 Residence # 4 Residence #3

OUTDOOR GROWS

  • Where are they?

– All over San Diego County – 4,526 square miles – Private lands, public lands – anywhere there is water and sunlight.

  • How do we find them?

– Air assets

  • Who is responsible?

OUTDOOR GROWS

  • Notify Team 9 by phone or email
slide-11
SLIDE 11

3/5/2018 11

OUTDOOR MARIJUANA GROWS WHO?

  • Mexican Drug Cartels are primarily

responsible for the majority of outdoor marijuana cultivation operations found on public lands in San Diego County.

slide-12
SLIDE 12

3/5/2018 12

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

  • Fresh foot trails
  • Irrigation tubing
  • Natural barriers made of cut brush
  • Suspicious vehicle/pedestrian activity
  • Odors of marijuana or food cooking
  • Breaches in perimeter fencing
  • Dead wildlife
slide-13
SLIDE 13

3/5/2018 13

What to look for?

slide-14
SLIDE 14

3/5/2018 14

HAZARDS OF MARIJUANA GROWS

  • WILDFIRES

– California is in it’s 6th year of severe drought. – A State of Emergency still exists.

WILDFIRES

  • Candles
  • Stoves
  • Cigarettes
  • Lanterns
  • Matches/lighters
  • Batteries
slide-15
SLIDE 15

3/5/2018 15

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

  • Numerous chemicals are found in marijuana

grows

– Fertilizers – Herbicides – Insecticides – Pesticides

  • Most found in grow sites are banned/restricted in the

United States

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

  • Contaminates water‐ground

water/watersheds

  • Contaminates ground
  • Kills/damages plant life
  • Kills/sickens animals
  • Dept of Fish & Wildlife estimates for every

acre used for growing marijuana, 10 acres are destroyed.

Zinc Phosphorus

slide-16
SLIDE 16

3/5/2018 16

ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL

slide-17
SLIDE 17

3/5/2018 17

ENVIRONMENTAL FURADAN FERTILIZER

slide-18
SLIDE 18

3/5/2018 18

TRASH CELLPHONE CHARGER Reclamation Efforts

  • Make attempts to clean affected areas.

– Fatigue/Heat Conditions – Air Assets/Fuel – Time – Accessibility

  • Fish and Wildlife‐Coordinate reclamation.
  • US Forest Service‐Coordinates Forwarded
  • BLM
slide-19
SLIDE 19

3/5/2018 19

Reclamation Costs

  • ONDCP‐Estimates approximately $15,000.00‐

$18,000.00 per acre for clean up.

  • National Conservancy‐Estimates initial

restoration and repair costs exceed $90,000,000.00 a year in California and $120,000,000.00 when including law enforcement.

WATER

  • A recent study estimates marijuana plants

require an average of 6‐9 gallons of water per day, per plant.

– High water retention soil

  • Growers will drain precious natural resources.
  • If natural resources aren’t available, the water

is stolen.

  • Diverting natural waterways.

WATER THEFT

slide-20
SLIDE 20

3/5/2018 20

DAILY RD, FALLBROOK WATER

  • This grow only contained 695 marijuana plants
  • 695 plants X 6 gallons of water per day = 4,170

gallons of water per day

  • 4,170 gallons per day X 150 days = 625,500

gallons

VALLEY CENTER WATER AUTHORITY

slide-21
SLIDE 21

3/5/2018 21

SAN MARCOS POACHING POACHING

  • Growers kill wildlife

– To prevent wildlife from feeding on marijuana plants – To keep wildlife away from the grow area – As a food source

slide-22
SLIDE 22

3/5/2018 22

GREY FOX

  • This grey fox was caught in a snare trap in a

marijuana grow found in Chihuahua Valley.

ANYONE HUNGRY?

slide-23
SLIDE 23

3/5/2018 23

RISKS TO YOU

  • Armed confrontation with growers

– Kidnappings – Killings – Shot at

  • Booby traps
  • Exposure to dangerous chemicals/toxins

– Water contamination – Soil contamination – Air contamination

THC EXTRACTION LABS

  • Process of removing the THC from the plant

material through chemical extraction/synthesis

– Volatile substances

  • Butane
  • Propane
  • Ethanol
slide-24
SLIDE 24

3/5/2018 24

THC EXTRACTION LABS

  • Nonvolatile substances can also be used

– Alcohol – Carbon Dioxide

THC EXTRACTION LABS

  • We classify THC extraction labs into 3

categories

– Blasting – Closed Loop – Super critical

BHO Extraction Labs

  • The process of chemically extracting

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from marijuana plant material using a solvent (butane).

  • THC is a psychoactive compound found within the

entire marijuana plant. (Over 400 chemical compounds/80 cannabinoids).

  • Generally, higher concentration of THC in the

flower or bud of the plant.

slide-25
SLIDE 25

3/5/2018 25

BHO Extraction Labs

  • Marijuana trimmings collected during the

cultivation process, commonly referred to as “shake,” are utilized during the extraction process.

Extraction Devices

  • Extraction devices are typically long tubes either PVC,

metal or glass.

  • The devices are tightly packed with marijuana plant

material.

  • At one end is a small hole where butane in introduced

into the device.

  • The other end is where plant material is loaded into

the device and covered with a filter or screen.

BHO Extraction Labs (Butane)

  • Butane is an extremely flammable gas/liquid.
  • Is a low‐lying gas/heavier than air.
  • Odorless and colorless.
  • Wants to be a gas.
  • Easy to ignite.
  • Around $2.00‐$5.00 per can (individually).
  • About a can used for each ounce of plant material packed into the

extraction device.

slide-26
SLIDE 26

3/5/2018 26

BLASTING BHO Extraction Labs

  • THC collection vessels are typically large Pyrex‐

type cooking glassware items.

  • Easy to collect THC draining from extraction

device.

  • Large surface area to purge Butane from THC.
  • Easy to collect finished product after the purging

process is completed.

BHO Extraction Labs

slide-27
SLIDE 27

3/5/2018 27

BHO Extraction Labs

  • Once THC is drained into the glassware the

butane purging process is initiated.

  • Purging is typically accomplished by applying

heat to the THC while inside the glassware using electric griddles or hot plates.

  • Electric or manual vacuum pumps are also

utilized in the butane purging process.

WARNING SIGNS

slide-28
SLIDE 28

3/5/2018 28

WARNING SIGNS WARNING SIGNS WARNING SIGNS

slide-29
SLIDE 29

3/5/2018 29

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG BHO Extraction Labs

  • Finished THC/Concentrated Cannabis commonly

referred to honey oil, hash oil, wax, ear wax, dabs, shatter, 710.

  • The process of manufacturing BHO is commonly

referred to as “blasting.”

  • Contains 60%‐90% THC. (Per DEA Chemists)
  • Sells for about $50‐$80 a gram.

FINISHED PRODUCT

slide-30
SLIDE 30

3/5/2018 30

CLOSED LOOP TAMESIUM Dangers of Closed Loop Systems

  • Leaks

– Butane explodes/CO2 displaces O2

  • Unstable fittings
  • Extremely high pressure (Especially CO2)
  • HAZ/MAT and Fire Department
slide-31
SLIDE 31

3/5/2018 31

TAMESIUM MISHAP SUPER CRITICAL

slide-32
SLIDE 32

3/5/2018 32

WINTERIZATION HAZARDS OF WINTERIZATION NEW TRENDS

slide-33
SLIDE 33

3/5/2018 33

REFINEMENT DON’T BE THIS GUY!

LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE NTF / DEA Team 9

slide-34
SLIDE 34

3/5/2018 34

CONTACT INFORMATION

  • Detective Frank Haskell
  • Sergeant Mike Krugh
  • San Diego Sheriff’s Department
  • Team 9
  • Narcotic Task Force
  • Frank.haskell@sdsheriff.org
  • Michael.krugh@sdsheriff.org