YALE, Okla. (KFOR) – As state agents continue to weed out illegal marijuana operations throughout Oklahoma, two grows in Payne County were raided on Thursday.

“They’re very complex, these people are tied to violent criminal organizations,” said Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

According to Woodward, 28,000 plants and nearly 500 pounds of processed marijuana were siezed in total.

Woodward said both operations that were raided sit about a mile apart from one another near Highway 51. He added that both are tied to the same investigation into organizations that use fraudulent licenses to grow marijuana and sell it on the black market.

“They try to look legitimate on the surface, but 100% of their product is being sold illegally, most of it outside the state of Oklahoma,” said Woodward. “Then the money being laundered worldwide by these criminal organizations.”

So far one person was arrested, according to Woodward. He said more arrests are expected to be made, but it’s hard to guess how many.

“They’re very good at hiding what they do and who’s involved,” said Woodward. “Oftentimes we’ve found prostitution rings, gambling rings and other criminal enterprises that are tied to these groups that are operating these farms in our state. “

Krystal Spitler Kuehl lives in the area. She told KFOR on Thursday that the operations won’t be missed.

“I know the people that surrounded the grow that lived down in the valley had complained that sometimes their house would stink like marijuana so bad, there’s nothing they could do about it,” said Spitler Kuehl. “I hope they keep cracking down and get these guys off the street.”