Five people with possible connections to the Chinese military were arrested last week during the raid on a marijuana grow in Ponca City, Oklahoma.
According to the Kay County (Okla.) Sheriff’s Office, the bust, which was carried out by numerous agencies, led to the arrests and the seizure of more than 11,000 illegal marijuana plants and 477 pounds of processed marijuana.
Gangtie Li, 60; Xiu Yu Li, 59; Qunying Sun, 59; Xtao Zhou Wang, 37; and Yu Jiao Zou, 62, were arrested on the spot. All five have been charged with aggravated marijuana manufacture and trafficking in a controlled and dangerous substance.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sun was dressed in clothes that detectives believe are similar to People’s Liberation Army outfits, China’s primary military branch.
According to investigators, the grow operation did not appear to be legitimate. It lacked an official Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority license, an active registration with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and any legally labeled marijuana plants.
