A massive hydroponic cannabis operation has been uncovered inside a quaint weatherboard house on Marshall Street Dapto, after a blaze broke out on Sunday afternoon.
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Four fire crews were called to the property around 3:30pm and found a rear industrial shed well alight, while a smaller fire was also detected in the roof cavity of the main building.
It opened a Pandora’s box of intricate wiring including solar panels, along with a large number of marijuana plants. It’s believed to be one of the biggest drug hauls in the area for several years.
“We had to get Ausgrid here to cut the power off, because they’ve possibly made illegal cutting of the wires,” said Fire Inspector Ron James.
Police said the entire house and shed were full of plants and “were everywhere”, with dodgy wiring suspected to be the reason behind the fire.
No-one was home at the time while detectives are investigating who owns and or is renting the premises.
“No-one lives here, it won't be a residential house it would be purely for that purpose [of growing marijuana]. So they’ll just come here to tend to their plants whenever,” said Senior Constable Steven Lloyd.
One neighbour who didn’t want to be named, spoke of the sickening panic she felt as she realised her own home may be on fire. She was playing bowls with her partner but ran up the street when they noticed smoke.
The woman said it she was “blown away” to discover the house next door was a drug den, as the previous owners had been so lovely. A new couple moved in between six and nine months ago but were rarely seen.
You just never know who’s living next door, do you.
- Neighbour
“We heard them banging in that shed when they first came there, but all of a sudden went really quiet,” said the neighbour. “You just never know who’s living next door, do you.”
She said on a Sunday her children and grandchildren usually visited, but felt such relief this was one day they didn’t.
Taleah Knight has been staying with her mother who has lived across the street for two and a half years - both were also in disbelief there was an illegal plantation just meters away.
“I never saw anything weird go down, no noise, nothing,” said Ms Knight. “This is one of the best streets in Dapto.”
The near two acre block houses a country style three bedroom home, separate two bedroom granny flat, in-ground pool and a shed that could fit six or seven cars.
