OBN battles foreign groups growing illegal marijuana in the state.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics continues to shut down foreign mafia groups that are running illegal marijuana farms in Oklahoma.Oklahoma is at the center of this issue because it’s profitable. A semi-truck of illegal marijuana that leaves Oklahoma is worth about $28 million. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here. “We’ve now gone from 9,400 down to 3,200 because we’ve recognized what they’re doing,” Mark Woodward, Spokesman for OBN, said.Since 2021, the Bureau of Narcotics has shut down thousands of marijuana farms connected to the black market.Officials said the interest in that illegal market from foreign countries remains, specifically in China.“To have a Chinese government official out of Washington D.C. specifically making multiple visits to Oklahoma, it shows the level of knowledge and involvement of the Chinese government,” Woodward said.OBN said there’s even an official from the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. that made the trip here and has met with others directly tied to illegal marijuana operations.“To meet with these same people that are tied to these criminal farms, it’s very alarming, and it should be a wake-up call to lots of people,” Woodward said.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppWoodward said China isn’t the only country getting in on the black market in Oklahoma.“These are groups that are linked to organized crime out of China, Mexico, Russia and Italy,” Woodward said. “We’ve identified a number of countries that are coming in and buying large amounts of Oklahoma land and paying cash for it.”Because of that, OBN said a big part of their investigations goes outside Oklahoma lines. They are after the people behind the whole scheme, and shutting down black market growers isn’t enough. “If we just hit the farm, seize the plants and arrest the managers and workers, they’ll replace those people and those plants within a matter of hours,” Woodward said.The bureau said they are at the point where they are shutting down an illegal operation almost every day. Top HeadlinesSuspect calls 911 after allegedly shooting wife in head in southwest OKC parking lot, police sayState Superintendent Ryan Walters says school choice just got easier with new office in Education Dept.Woman arrested and accused of using a fraudulent deed to obtain a home in Oklahoma CountyTIMELINE: Parts of Oklahoma are at risk for severe storms MondayNew diabetes treatment could change the future of the disease