Lane County Sheriff’s detectives seized and destroyed some 7,000 marijuana plants last week after searching three locations in the Eugene area while investigating illegal grow operations.

Deputies searched two residential properties Wednesday, Sept. 10 — one in the 89800 block of Armitage Road west of Interstate 5 and another in the 85100 block of Forest Hill Lane south of Eugene, according to a statement Sunday from the sheriff’s office. Deputies also searched a property in the 89900 block of Coburg Road, west of I-5.

Also seized and destroyed were some 800 pounds of marijuana bud, according to the sheriff’s office. Seven people were arrested, although the sheriff’s office statement did not name them.

Property code violations under investigation include unlawful sewage dumping, unlawful storage of hazardous materials and installation of an unapproved well, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office received assistance from Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, among other agencies.

For the 12-month period ending Sept. 30 of last year, 270,718 illicitly cultivated plants were seized in Oregon, according to statistics for the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. The total was the third highest of any state.