Law enforcement officials in Maine are investigating a series of illegal cannabis grow sites that are raising concerns about human trafficking. In one case, a call claiming workers were being held against their will at a grow site led to the discovery of nearly 1,000 marijuana plants. However, authorities later determined that the tip was not authentic.
Federal prosecutors have found no credible evidence of human trafficking at the grow sites they have investigated, but local law enforcement and anti-trafficking advocates believe that trafficking is occurring. Workers, many of whom are Chinese immigrants, are vulnerable to exploitation by criminal organizations operating the illegal grow houses.
Workers are often recruited through misleading online job listings that offer free housing and transportation, which are common tactics used by human traffickers. Once brought to the grow sites, laborers are put to work in hazardous conditions, living in squalor and rarely allowed to leave the premises. The houses are filled with black mold, and dangerous chemicals are used to grow the marijuana plants.
Authorities have conducted raids on more than 40 illegal grow sites in Maine, but the number of sites and workers has decreased due to changes in the operations to further restrict workers’ movement. Law enforcement officials are concerned about the exploitation of vulnerable workers and are working to uncover the full extent of human trafficking at the illegal grow houses.
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