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Massed police raid 'shroom sites Drugs, cash seized at 20 locations By BILL VARBLE More than 100 federal and local law enforcement officers swooped down Thursday on at least 20 Josephine County locations suspected of being part of the largest psilocybin mushroom growing and distributing system in the country. Police spokesmen in Jackson and Josephine counties were tight-lipped about the operation Thursday, but Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel said it was led by agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Josephine Interagency Narcotics Team. Daniel said officers raided 15 sites in Williams and five in the Illinois Valley. As of noon Thursday only one person had been arrested, he said. "It's all federal search warrants," he said. "The feds aren't arresting people at these locations. They're gathering evidence, and down the road they'll present it to a grand jury." "It's not the way we do business," he said. "We'd arrest everybody there." Daniel said the single arrest was made on an outstanding felony warrant that was unrelated to charges stemming from the drug raids. A JOINT news release said the massive action resulted from an investigation that has been going on for three years, during which some 250 pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms have been seized in rural Oregon and locations in California, Kansas and Vermont. Officers have seized approximately $195,000 in cash from three suspects and smaller amounts from others during the investigation, Daniel said. In addition to the DEA and JOINT, agencies involved in the investigation or helping serve the search warrants included the FBI, the IRS, the National Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and police from Ashland, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Roseburg and Brookings in addition to Oregon State Police and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Eugene. Daniel said officials believe Josephine County is a center for the largest growing and distribution system for hallucinogenic mushrooms in the United States. "I don't how we get this kind of designation," he said. Warrants stemming from the investigation earlier led to raids and seizures in Grants Pass, Myrtle Creek, Sunny Valley and Williams, the sheriff said. A sheriff's office spokeswoman said some weapons were among evidence seized Thursday. Daniel said he expected officials to release more details today. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA