October 13, 2023 3:50 a.m.

Its been a busy three months for the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team.

A release from Lieutenant Rick McArthur said drug cartel style illegal marijuana enforcement remains a high priority due to the devastation it causes to local resources.

McArthur said some examples of this are:

*Unpermitted high-water use, depleting an already strained ground water supply

*Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that are routinely misused, even some banned substances, again threatening the ground water supplies

*Dangerous electrical and building code violations, and inhumane living conditions, causing an unsafe environment for all involved

*Increasing criminal activity perpetrated by some members of these criminal organizations

*Community livability concerns

In the past three months, at least 40 people have been arrested by DINT. That has included local area residents along with people from California, Florida, and some from unknown locations.

Drugs were seized from communities that included Dillard, Myrtle Creek, Riddle, Camas Valley, Tenmile, Azalea, and Glendale. That included:

*Over 15,000 marijuana plants

*Over 51,300 pounds of processed marijuana

*60,000 pounds of processed hemp

*44,000 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms – a record seizure in the county

Other drugs seized were fentanyl, cocaine and various other controlled substances.

McArthur said the information provided is just a brief synopsis of some of the cases DINT has been working on recently. He said some are complex and much more in-depth than the information he provided. Some cases are ongoing with more arrests anticipated.