Four Chinese citizens are facing charges in connection with a massive illegal marijuana growing operation discovered in Iosco County.
Michigan State Police executed a search warrant Thursday at a warehouse in Alabaster Township. They located 5,057 marijuana plants inside at various stages of growth, which authorities say have a street value of more than $5 million.
Iosco County Prosecutor James Bacarella said investigators discovered evidence leading them to four people who live at an apartment on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
Evidence from the apartment led investigators to Meiqing Chen, Wenying Wu, Changning Zhen and a fourth suspect.
A Michigan State Police trooper spotted all four in a vehicle allegedly linked to the marijuana grow driving on U.S. 23 in Iosco County. All four suspects were arrested during the traffic stop.
Bacarella said three of the four suspects entered the United States legally. One of them had a GPS phone app providing driving directions to New York, leading police to believe they were attempting to flee Michigan when police pulled them over.
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