Drugs agents trade intelligence on Western marijuana farms

KESQ News Channel 3

SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) - Police raiding massive marijuana farms are discovering links between the fertilizer, pesticides and even the shovels used in some of the growing operations.A law enforcement coordinator in the U-S Attorney's Office in Sacramento says there's what he describes as a "quartermaster system" in place where large-scale growers are taking advantage of economies of scale to cut costs and maximize profits.

Government analysts are using the information of the equipment purchased by major drug dealers to search for patterns linking diverse operations across the West and into Mexico.

Before the summer's growing season begins, authorities say they will expand the program to help rural mountainous California counties exchange information on suspected marijuana-growing operations.