This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

OROVILLE –

The seizure of a package found to contain opium lead to two arrests and a busted marijuana growth operation.

Near the end of October, the U.S. Department of Home Security intercepted a package from Thailand coming into the United States. Addressed to a home near V-7 Road in Oroville, the package was discovered to have 23 pounds of opium, a street value of about $265,000.

The package was subsequently seized and given to the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), whose agents obtained a search warrant for the package and address of the destination.

Tuesday, BINTF agents delivered the package to the address and served the search warrant. The search of the area revealed an illegal indoor marijuana grow containing 182 growing marijuana plants. The agents seized the marijuana and the opium and arrested the two people in the house.

Yao Ching Saeturn, 61, and Cheng Ching Saeturn, 34, were booked into the Butte County Jail for illegally cultivating marijuana and possession for sale of marijuana. Bail for the two has been set at $100,000 each.

Ruben Dominguez filed this report.

Oroville Opium
$265,000 worth of opium. (BUTTE INTERAGENCY NARCOTICS TASK FORCE [BINTF])