9 August 2011

Hidden Macgregor grow house busted.

| johnboy
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grow house

ACT Policing uncovered a sophisticated “grow house” while executing a search warrant at a house in Macgregor yesterday afternoon (Monday, 8 August).

Detectives from Criminal Investigations drug team executed the search warrant at the house in Macfarlane Burnett Avenue and discovered an elaborate cannabis nursery under the house.

Detective Sergeant Bob Wynn said the backgrounds of the detectives played a large role in uncovering the sophisticated set up.

“Originally the team thought the cupboard backed onto a built in wardrobe,” Detective Sergeant Wynn said. “However, upon closer inspection two team members who had backgrounds in construction realised this could not be the case and removed the cupboard.”

To access the nursery police had to dismantle a cupboard and found a trap door with a ladder leading to the underground set up.

The electrical system of the house had been highly modified, with the meter box bypassed and a large number of transformers installed to power the growing lamps and fans inside the premises.

The house was also equipped with a customised irrigation system.

No people were found inside the house however, police have seized a number of items as evidence and investigations are ongoing.

grow house grow house

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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Chop71 said :

Jethro said :

trickyxr said :

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

My thoughts too. Was this done at the original time of construction?

Will the police (the state) take the house? Could be a nice windfall for Mr Plod

Yeh I believe there is a case going on atm in the ACT Supreme court. A first in the ACT where a fella was growing some weed in his house and now the blokes house is on the line. Certainly should make people think twice about doing it in their own home/house.

Jethro said :

trickyxr said :

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

My thoughts too. Was this done at the original time of construction?

Will the police (the state) take the house? Could be a nice windfall for Mr Plod

KeenGolfer said :

kezzafezza said :

I think there is a grow house down the road from us. The inside windows are completely covered in foil stuff, and then to try to hide it there is shade sail wrapped around the outside of the house, with a tiny crack in it to access the front door.

Seems pretty sus, but maybe its some crazy insulation??

Have you reported it to police? Report it and let them check it out.

Or leave it be and let the police catch real criminals.

+ What if it is not a grow house and you have stuffed your innocent neighbour around? Just a possibility.

kezzafezza said :

I think there is a grow house down the road from us. The inside windows are completely covered in foil stuff, and then to try to hide it there is shade sail wrapped around the outside of the house, with a tiny crack in it to access the front door.

Seems pretty sus, but maybe its some crazy insulation??

Have you reported it to police? Report it and let them check it out.

I think there is a grow house down the road from us. The inside windows are completely covered in foil stuff, and then to try to hide it there is shade sail wrapped around the outside of the house, with a tiny crack in it to access the front door.

Seems pretty sus, but maybe its some crazy insulation??

troll-sniffer said :

Probably wouldn’t have been busted if they had just paid for the electricity they were siphoning off, it’s the discrepancies in the network that get them every time. Morons.

Solar power companies should advertise this as another benefit of getting a pv array.

trickyxr said :

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

My thoughts too. Was this done at the original time of construction?

johnboy said :

$10k quarterly bills stand out a bit too!

Yup, unless you are running a aluminium smelter at your house, ACTEW are going to get suspicious even if you pay the bill.

$10k quarterly bills stand out a bit too!

troll-sniffer3:36 pm 10 Aug 11

Probably wouldn’t have been busted if they had just paid for the electricity they were siphoning off, it’s the discrepancies in the network that get them every time. Morons.

now that you can’t grow pot in there it’s the perfect “Murder Room”

Judging by the effort that they have gone to, they obviously are good workers who can build and with Australia’s work skills shortages, I say let them go and give them a building job.

It has impressed me more than the hidden in plain sight, small crop at OPH.

Arrow said :

trickyxr said :

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

It seems strange that the police had to dismantle an entire cupboard to find their way into the trapdoor. There must have been a slightly easier way in – maybe just a latch they missed, if not a whole other entrance somewhere.

Na – kinda like having a house on credit after filling out the home lending forms in the ‘creative’ way. Thats why they start with a drug bust, anything else just isn’t justice.

trickyxr said :

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

It seems strange that the police had to dismantle an entire cupboard to find their way into the trapdoor. There must have been a slightly easier way in – maybe just a latch they missed, if not a whole other entrance somewhere.

So was the house constructed with a subfloor (Cellar) that was only accessable by the hidden trap door? If that is the case the house was constructed for the purpose of growing Other wise you would have a normal access door to the subfloor (cellar).

Erg0 said :

Spoono said :

I heard the house was rented to a Mr Heisenberg..

He sounds like a man of uncertain principles.

No, it’s definitely rented to Mr Heisenberg. It was rented to a Mr Schrodinger, but he had to move out as the landlord thought he was keeping a cat in the house somewhere.

Spoono said :

I heard the house was rented to a Mr Heisenberg..

He sounds like a man of uncertain principles.

Spoono said :

I heard the house was rented to a Mr Heisenberg..

Are you certain?

I heard the house was rented to a Mr Heisenberg..

Wow dvaey, such ignorance and rampant stupidity in one post. Impressive.

Davey what you are alleging is that there is a network of adults selling ICE to teenagers. Frots would have us believe that they are lying to claim mitigating circumstances. Why would anyone follow this up? Police media still haven’t mentioned ICE. Do you have inside information or an eyewitness account? How reliable is your allegation? Not saying you are wrong, just interested in the source.

Nobody…. If you want grow room schematics try google. That is if you can be bothered. Just don’t do the bypass thing. It appears in a lot police media releases.

Well, this might stop one person smoking it. Actually, no, itll probably just mean that dealers can artificially inflate prices claiming theyre affected by the bust. The only real outcome on the big picture, is that a bit more money will be made by those whos market and profits only exist because society is stuck in the 20s “reefer” mentality.

Meanwhile, while the police are focusing on a bit of weed, whos users generally occupy the couch and the xbox, the manufacturers and distributors who supplied the ice used by the 2 braddon murderers, are happily sitting back selling their wares, in the knowledge that a) a user of his stuff killed 2 people, and b) theres far more attention focused on big weed busts with photos of underground rooms than a junkie with a stove and a bag of white powder.

The only good thing to this story, is that someone whos put that much money into a grow operation like that, is probably involved in organised crime. The laws create such an easy way for organised criminals to make their profits with very little risk.

DrKennethNoisewater8:43 am 10 Aug 11

Every house in new Macgregor has one of these. It comes as a standard feature with every Village Building Company home.

Just out of curiosity, are there any detailed plans, schematics, irrigation drawings, lighting information, and fertiliser regimes, to go with these photos?

That looks like a marrow next to the ceiling …

00davist said :

I imagine this one could potentially be up for sale soon!

I wonder how the real-estate agents will spin it.

Potential for (magic) mushroom farming.

p1 said :

Very nice. I always wanted a house with hidden passages and secret rooms when I was a kid.

I imagine this one could potentially be up for sale soon!

I wonder how the real-estate agents will spin it.

“Great Potential as a mixed Home/Business premises”
“Plenty of secure, underground storage”
“In-Floor Heating AND under floor irrigation”

Or if you assume this guy had a few direct pot-head clients, who may have missed the bulletin, and still think this grow-shop is open for business:

“Meet lots of interesting people!”

I wonder how long this was going on, Last year I lived just nearby on Dagmar Berne, never heard anything about this…

…Then again, if i had, it wouldn’t have been a very good grow house, I don’t think your supposed to get a ‘Neighbours Bulletin’ for this kind of thing!

Very nice. I always wanted a house with hidden passages and secret rooms when I was a kid.

Hehe, nice. You get that in a highly educated, public servant town.

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