Washington State Patrol troopers found what they believe are illegally imported deadly pesticides in two Pierce County marijuana busts Wednesday.
The Washington State Patrol Cannabis Enforcement Response Team (CERT) and WSP Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team served one search warrant in Bonney Lake and another in Orting following an investigation of a local marijuana-trafficking organization, according to a Friday news release.
During the searches, officers discovered what are believed to be toxic pesticides with Mandarin characters on the packaging. They appeared similar to warnings of other previously seized pesticides in other states that have been found to be highly toxic and potentially fatal to humans and animals, according to the release.
The release states any cannabis treated with such pesticides would be harmful to consume. Previously, there were no documented cases of similar pesticides found in Washington state. During the searches, two Seattle residents in their 40’s were arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to the release.
The SWAT team determined that the human risk was too significant to continue processing the cannabis grow sites and brought in HAZMAT crews to eradicate both illegal operations, and about 4,000 marijuana plants were destroyed, according to the WSP release. The release adds that the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has classified both properties as contaminated.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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