An early morning raid Aug. 14 on the Colville Indian Reservation netted almost 10,000 marijuana plants, reports the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office.
     The plants were found growing in several locations.
     A investigation of a month and half led to the bust that included several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, which converged on the outdoor marijuana grow operation.
     During the early morning raid two suspects tending the grow were apprehended as they were attempting to flee the scene.
     The sophisticated grow operation, which incorporated an elaborate gravity fed watering system, appeared to have been in place for a year or more. The grow was spread out through heavily forested terrain with plots cleared out for the plants.
     The suspects also had set up several different living, cooking, and bathing locations that were camouflaged with fresh cut branches to keep them from being seen from the air.
     The investigation involved members from the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, Okanogan County Sheriff's Office, Omak Police Department, Spokane Regional DEA Task Force, DEA Cannabis Eradication Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Colville Tribal Police Department, Colville Tribal Parks and Recreation, US Border Patrol and the Washington State Patrol Air Wing.
     “The cooperation amongst all of the agencies was outstanding and really made the operation a success,” reported sheriff Frank Rogers. “Several other leads are being followed up and the investigation is on going at this time.”