By Jamie Guirola, Reporter - email
By Chris Benka, Photojournalist - email
By 8NewsNOW Staff
LAS VEGAS -- Marijuana growers are getting more sophisticated and prolific, turning homes into elaborate grow operations that are popping up all over the valley.
Police busted two operations Monday night - one in the northwest and another larger operation in Southern Highlands.
Metro spent several hours removing marijuana plants, hundreds of gallons of chemicals and fertilizer from a home on Congaree Street near Jones Boulevard and Cactus Avenue. Police recovered 200 plants with a street value of $700,000.
"It's unreal," said neighbor Sherill Banks. "Like $700,000 he told me. That's a lot of marijuana and a lot of money, and it's just sad that it's happening in these neighborhoods."
Every room inside the rental home was converted into a grow operation. Metro says it was only a matter of time before a single spark burned the whole house down.
"This is just an opportunity to make money. These are not patients. These are not people who are hurting. This is 200 plants by a common criminal who's looking to exploit, looking to make money," said Metro Lt. Lazaro Chavez.
Police say the suspect responsible for this operation took off before police arrived, but it's only a matter of time before police track down the suspect. The raid was the result of a neighbor's tip. When police received the information, they conducted surveillance of the home and confirmed neighbor suspicions.
Metro, which averages four marijuana lab busts a week, says it is operating almost exclusively on neighbor tips. The department recently received money through a federal grant to help them tackle this growing problem.
Around the same time officers responded to this home, authorities raided a second grow house near Rainbow Boulevard and Gowan Road. Police seized 100 plants and made several arrests. The two grow houses are not related.
Metro Police busted 119 grow houses last year. With four months left in 2011, police say they've already busted 107 operations in 2011.
Police busted two operations Monday night - one in the northwest and another larger operation in Southern Highlands.
Metro spent several hours removing marijuana plants, hundreds of gallons of chemicals and fertilizer from a home on Congaree Street near Jones Boulevard and Cactus Avenue. Police recovered 200 plants with a street value of $700,000.
"It's unreal," said neighbor Sherill Banks. "Like $700,000 he told me. That's a lot of marijuana and a lot of money, and it's just sad that it's happening in these neighborhoods."
Every room inside the rental home was converted into a grow operation. Metro says it was only a matter of time before a single spark burned the whole house down.
"This is just an opportunity to make money. These are not patients. These are not people who are hurting. This is 200 plants by a common criminal who's looking to exploit, looking to make money," said Metro Lt. Lazaro Chavez.
Police say the suspect responsible for this operation took off before police arrived, but it's only a matter of time before police track down the suspect. The raid was the result of a neighbor's tip. When police received the information, they conducted surveillance of the home and confirmed neighbor suspicions.
Metro, which averages four marijuana lab busts a week, says it is operating almost exclusively on neighbor tips. The department recently received money through a federal grant to help them tackle this growing problem.
Around the same time officers responded to this home, authorities raided a second grow house near Rainbow Boulevard and Gowan Road. Police seized 100 plants and made several arrests. The two grow houses are not related.
Metro Police busted 119 grow houses last year. With four months left in 2011, police say they've already busted 107 operations in 2011.
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