Authorities seized more than 3,000 illegal cannabis plants Wednesday during a large-scale bust on several properties along U.S. 97 north of Orondo.

The Columbia River Drug Task Force said the operation followed a lengthy investigation into an indoor grow hidden inside orchard buildings near the 21800 block of U.S. 97.

Investigators say the structures had been converted into sophisticated grow rooms containing thousands of marijuana plants, chemicals, and CO₂ equipment.

The task force executed the search warrants with the help of the East Cascade SWAT Team, Washington State Patrol's Cannabis Enforcement Response Team, the state Department of Ecology, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, and local fire and EMS crews.

Officers detained multiple people at the scene. Deputies arrested the primary suspect, 51-year-old Yahui Wu and booked him in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on suspicion of illegal manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, as well as unlawful use of a building for drug purposes.

Officials said the cleanup process was dangerous and labor-intensive, as teams removed hazardous chemicals before dismantling the grow operation. Once the site was deemed safe, the cannabis plants were destroyed in accordance with the warrant.Investigators believe the crop would have been distributed illegally across the country had it been harvested. The case remains under investigation.