Authorities say three neighbors in Atlantic County operated a “sophisticated” marijuana manufacturing facility in their home and stored more than 4,000 marijuana plants worth millions of dollars.
Police searched the property in Buena Borough, population 4,500, near Vineland, on Sept. 16 and seized the plants after a three-month investigation, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.
All three properties had been converted into marijuana grow sites with lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, growing nutrients, water and growing space, officials said.
Hans Chen, 47, Suxia Li, 41, and Deng Huang Hong, 50, are each charged with operating a drug manufacturing facility and possessing marijuana with the intent to sell.
Lawyer information was not immediately available.
The three are being held in the Atlantic County Jail ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
State police, Franklin (Gloucester County) police and Elk Township police participated in the investigation.
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Jeff Goldman can be contacted at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
