Union City police bust marijuana growing operation valued at up to $11 million

UNION CITY, Calif. - Detectives with the Union City police department discovered over 5,000 marijuana plants Tuesday inside of a warehouse that had been converted into an illegal indoor growing operation.

The discovery was made after a security guard reported being shot by a group of robbers attempting to steal marijuana from the warehouse, which is located on Zwissig Way.

Police say the value of the 5,648 marijuana plants is estimated to be between $7,342,400 to $11,296,000.

There's no word on what, if any, injuries the security guard suffered during the altercation.

Police confiscated the marijuana from the warehouse and processed it at another location.

Currently, the state of California requires commercial cannabis growing operations to apply for special permits before starting a growing operation. There are also requirements for adequate security at the grow location, as well as rules on how to handle waste from growing marijuana.