Pubdate: Fri, 30 Aug 2000 Source: Desert Sun, The (CA) Copyright: 2002 The Desert Sun Contact: http://www.thedesertsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1112 Author: Kenny Klein $19 MILLION BUST SIGNALS BEGINNING OF MARIJUANA HARVEST SEASON IDYLLWILD -- With the marijuana harvest season just around the corner, narcotic agents say Wednesday's $19 million pot bust is just the beginning. "We are going to get real busy," said Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Neilsen of the Special Investigations Bureau. The marijuana-growing season begins with seed planting in early April and ends with the majority of harvesting in September and October. Officers seized 3,460 marijuana plants in the raid about a half-mile from Idyllwild near Strawberry Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest. The growing field was spotted by aircraft surveillance. No one was arrested. The plants, which ranged in height from 3 to 7 feet tall, were grown with an elaborate watering system made up of plastic pipes. The pipes were connected to Lake Hemet and Strawberry Creek. Another bust occurred Aug. 1 in Rice Canyon in the Cleveland National Forest. In that operation, deputies seized 1,300 marijuana plants worth about $7 million. Neilsen said Riverside County has become a popular place for marijuana crops because numerous rural areas provide ample cover for growers. Arrests are tough because such crops require minimal labor, he said. In Calexico, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Al Nieto said they will also make a lion's share of seizures from smugglers. The drug traffickers float it across canals, backpack or and drive it through the deserts and valley to Los Angeles, he said. "It's the season," Nieto said. "This time of year, we will see large quantities of marijuana coming in." This year, agents have made 72 seizures worth $10.4 million, Nieto said. Last year, agents made 94 seizures worth $12.7 million, Nieto said. This year, SIB deputies have seized about 60,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $330 million in the county. Last year, the SIB seized a half-billion dollars worth of marijuana plants countywide. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens