LOS ANGELES, May 16 (UPI) -- Los Angeles County sheriff's officials say more than $4.5 million in marijuana was seized in busts at two locations in the San Gabriel Valley.
The two busts were not related, officials said.
In one of last week's operations, deputies found about 1,900 marijuana plants, valued at about $2 million, in a sophisticated growing operation near the City of Industry, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
The investigation began after a deputy smelled "a very strong odor" of marijuana from a warehouse and investigators found through a utility company that "there was a large electricity usage from several of the small warehouses from that building," Lt. Victor Sotelo of the sheriff's department said.
In a separate investigation, a marijuana cache valued at about $2.5 million was found at a rented condominium near Arcadia.
Arrested at the condominium was Joseph Hsu, 30, a suspected member of the Wah Ching Chinese street gang, the Times reported.
Last year the sheriff's Asian Gang Team seized nearly $5 million worth of marijuana at five locations in the western San Gabriel Valley area, the Times reported.
