WESTSIDE INTERAGENCY NARCOTICS TEAM RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD (PHOTO)
News Release from Washington Co. Sheriff's Office
Posted on FlashAlert: February 14th, 2014 11:37 AM
Downloadable file: Award
Downloadable file: Director Kerlikowske to Sheriff Garrett's right presents award to HIDTA members
February 14, 2014 - Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) Detectives received the 2013
national award for Outstanding Marijuana Investigative Effort for their investigation into a
large money laundering operation where marijuana was shipped across the nation for
financial gain.
The WIN team was recently recognized by Director R. Gil Kerlikowske from the United
States Office of National Drug Control Policy for their collaborative investigation efforts on
the case. The team was recognized for their contribution to Oregon's High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) efforts of reducing drug use and its consequences by disrupting
and dismantling this drug trafficking organization.
The (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.
One year of investigating came to culmination in the early morning hours of September 5, 2013, when detectives from agencies across the metro area served simultaneous search warrants on 17 residences uncovering an extensive organized crime and drug distribution money laundering operation. Investigators learned that the organization was turning houses into large growing operations. The houses were located in neighborhoods in Washington and Multnomah Counties. The houses were illegally converted to accommodate the extra electricity, ventilation, and water needed for growing the marijuana. Some rental homes would sustain thousands of dollars in damage caused by the illegal drug operation.
It was discovered that the organization would package and ship over 50 pounds of
Marijuana with a value of over $100,000 a month. Some of the shipments were sent to
states where there is no state marijuana program. It is believed that the organization was
manipulating and exploiting the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) to traffic
drugs for financial gain. The organization would register some of these residences as
OMMP grow sites to appear they were in compliance with Oregon law.
This case is proceeding through the courts as indictments are obtained and future court
dates are scheduled.
This original press release is attached.
national award for Outstanding Marijuana Investigative Effort for their investigation into a
large money laundering operation where marijuana was shipped across the nation for
financial gain.
The WIN team was recently recognized by Director R. Gil Kerlikowske from the United
States Office of National Drug Control Policy for their collaborative investigation efforts on
the case. The team was recognized for their contribution to Oregon's High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) efforts of reducing drug use and its consequences by disrupting
and dismantling this drug trafficking organization.
The (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.
One year of investigating came to culmination in the early morning hours of September 5, 2013, when detectives from agencies across the metro area served simultaneous search warrants on 17 residences uncovering an extensive organized crime and drug distribution money laundering operation. Investigators learned that the organization was turning houses into large growing operations. The houses were located in neighborhoods in Washington and Multnomah Counties. The houses were illegally converted to accommodate the extra electricity, ventilation, and water needed for growing the marijuana. Some rental homes would sustain thousands of dollars in damage caused by the illegal drug operation.
It was discovered that the organization would package and ship over 50 pounds of
Marijuana with a value of over $100,000 a month. Some of the shipments were sent to
states where there is no state marijuana program. It is believed that the organization was
manipulating and exploiting the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) to traffic
drugs for financial gain. The organization would register some of these residences as
OMMP grow sites to appear they were in compliance with Oregon law.
This case is proceeding through the courts as indictments are obtained and future court
dates are scheduled.
This original press release is attached.
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