Maine authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal marijuana operations, conducting multiple raids across central Maine in January, including raids on Kennebec County and Lincoln County properties that resulted in six arrests Tuesday.
According to a leaked Department of Homeland Security memo, there are more than 270 illicit marijuana cultivation sites operating throughout rural Maine at the behest of Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations (ATCOs).
In the latest action, police targeted three operations throughout Kennebec County and Lincoln County on Tuesday, bringing the total number of raids to seven over the past month.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office, the following individuals were arrested in the raids:
- Weihuan Liu, 41, of Brooklyn, NY: Arrested during the raid of 91 Jefferson Road. More than 700 plants and 40 lbs of processed marijuana seized.
- Huan Ying Li, 57, formerly of NYC. Arrested during the raid of 333 North Howe Road, Whitefield. Nearly 30 pounds of processed marijuana seized. According to Lincoln County property records, Li purchased the property in November 2019.
- Zhen Zhong Chen, 45, the property owner of 170 Rockland Road, Jefferson, was arrested at his residence after the seizure of 820 plants.
- Ming Da Li, 41, of Brooklyn, NY, arrested at 754 Cooper Road, Chelsea, after the seizure of nearly 900 plants. According to property records, the residence was purchased Aug. 2020 by Xinqiao Huang of Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Wan Ting Xiao, 50, of San Gabriel, Ca., arrested at 19 Abby Lane, Whitefield, after the seizure of 2,294 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana.
- Ding Zhan Liao, 49, of Brooklyn, NY., also arrested at 19 Abby Lane.
Tuesday’s raids targeted two properties in Whitefield and another in Chelsea. These followed earlier actions on Jan. 17, where properties in Whitefield and a location in Jefferson were searched, and another operation in Whitefield on January 10.
These raids resulted in several arrests but also saw one suspect successfully evade capture.
Xiangming Yi, 61, fled the scene of one raid and is still at large. Yi’s 34 Clover Lane property in Whitefield had more than 1,000 illegally grown marijuana plants.
Maine’s congressional delegation last year urged the U.S. Justice Department to increase efforts against the illegal operations, particularly those run by foreign organized crime. These operations are believed to be worth close to $4.5 billion and involve around 270 suspected properties.
In November, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins sent a letter to U.S. Attorney of Maine Darcie McElwee, specifically flagging the Maine Wire’s investigative reporting on the extent of Chinese organized crime operations in Maine.
Here’s a recap of the Maine Wire’s reporting on the Chinese-controlled marijuana grows that have been raided within the last year:
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="25100 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=25100">6 Comments
No one cares! What are we doing to protect the Palestinian’s from the genocidal jews!?
And it’s all thanks to the Maine Wire and persistent pursuit to expose them.
Keep it up!
Also, Thank you MainWire for shedding light on these grow houses in Maine. It may have been your reporting on this issue which finally prompted a response from the authorities. Good Work!
“The ICJ (International Court of Justice) finding of prima facie jewish State genocide invokes the Leahy Law. US aid to the occupying force is illegal under US law. The ILVF (israel leahy vetting forum) is breaking federal and universal jurisdiction law by supplying the weapons for genocide.”
‘Different rules’: special policies keep US supplying weapons to the mass murdering jews despite known abuses of human rights’
The Guardian
Jan 2024
“An estimated 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by jewish terrorists since Hamas’s 7 October resistance against the occupiers, a death toll that has spurred condemnation of the jewish terrorist leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US pResident, Joe Biden, who has been criticized for failing to rein in the jews indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s infrastructure and civilian population”.
“Li purchased the property in November 2019”.– They have been here a long time. Were have the State Offical been Governor?– Out watching the electionst boxes or helping in Texas