Report of smoke coming from San Leandro home leads to dope operation arrests
You’ve heard the adage “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” It’s a nice bit of common sense, but it’s not always literally true. On the night of Friday, October 10, San Leandro Police discovered that, at least sometimes, where there’s smoke, there’s dope.
According to a police department press release, at around 10:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Linnell Avenue in San Leandro after receiving a report of smoke coming from a house there. As the first officer to respond approached the house, however, he was hit not by the familiar smell of smoke but by something else: the pungent aroma of fresh marijuana. It appeared to be coming from the garage.
Smoke coming from this house alerted police to a potential problem.
More officers arrived and police knocked on the front door of the home, according to the press release. After a considerable delay, a man finally opened the door, later identified as 39-year-old San Leandro resident Hao Wei Liu. Officers queried Liu about the odor coming from the garage, but Liu was evasive with his answers.
Police secured the residence, at which point they came across two other men, 20-year-old Xie Sheng Lei and 34-year-old Wenfeng Li, both San Leandro residents. Officers also found evidence of an intricate pot cultivation operation going on inside the home, according to the press release. None of the suspects, however, lived at the location, according to the arrest reports.
After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, officers investigated further. Their search turned up 380 mature marijuana plants and 64 pounds of processed marijuana. They also found another 3.5 pounds of pot in plastic bags inside a 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLK350 parked in the driveway.
Police estimate the total value of the marijuana seizure at $465,000.
The Mercedes, which belonged to one of the suspects, was seized under asset forfeiture laws.
Police arrested the three men and booked them at the San Leandro Police Department. The Alameda County District Attorney filed charges against the men for cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale.
“It is troublesome for us to know that such an elaborate, illegal operation occurred in a quiet, residential neighborhood,” said Lt. Robert McManus of the San Leandro Police Department. “The training and keen senses of the officers that responded to this call are the reason why we were able to successfully end [the suspects’] operation.”
