Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ten men have been indicted on federal charges after police raided a massive marijuana growing operation in eastern Oregon earlier this month.

Investigators say they seized more than 30,000 plants with a street value estimated at more than $30 million.

The raids took place over two days on remote Bureau of Land Management land in Malheur County.

Special assistant U.S. attorney Steve Gunnels says it wasn't just the number of plants that made the raid stand out.

Steve Gunnels: “Having this many people arrested out of a marijuana grow is unusual. Eight of the men were actually located within the marijuana grow site when police raided the marijuana grows on the second and third.”

A ninth man was arrested days later in central Washington.

A tenth man remains at large. Gunnels would not say how officials learned of the site, but the Burns Times-Herald reports that police acted on a tip from a private citizen.