BUST NETS 171 MARIJUANA PLANTS; A 'GROWING' TREND

Deputies Nab Two Suspects, One Gets Away; Officials See Increase in Grow Houses

MARION OAKS - Marion County sheriff's deputies dismantled a marijuana
grow house Thursday night containing 171 marijuana plants with an
estimated street value of approximately $200,000, and arrested two of
three men seen fleeing the area.

The third man, who reportedly was seen discarding a .38-caliber
revolver, managed to escape, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

Two of the men - [redacted] - were arrested on charges of cultivating
marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest
without violence, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Officials with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency, who are
familiar with the case, said [redacted] are from Cuba. Since the
beginning of the year, they said, local drug agents have seen not
only a significant increase in marijuana grow houses, but also those
arrested increasingly have moved from South Florida to Central Florida.

Agents believe the move is fueled in part by the area's rural
atmosphere, which they said acts as cover for illegal activities.

From January to September 2007, agents have seized 2,804 plants
worth an estimated $2.9 million. According to officials, it's very
expensive to finance, set up and operate grow houses. However, once
established and properly maintained, such an operation can be lucrative.

Marijuana typically sells for $500 to $600 a pound. For
hydroponically grown marijuana, which has a higher level of potency,
the cost can reach $3,000 to $6,000 a pound.

Growers use 1,000-watt light bulbs to serve as light for the plants.
With that much heat, more than one air conditioning unit is used to
cool the area, and fans are strategically placed to keep air flowing.
Before power gets to the home's meter, it is diverted to the grow
house. This prevents utility companies from detecting large amounts
of power running to one home. Timers are installed in grow houses to
regulate light and water.

Deputies had gone to [redacted], after receiving a report of a
suspicious vehicle. The person making the report said the home may
have been burglarized. At the home, deputies saw the windows were
painted white, were blocked with foil and had bright light shining
around the edges, according to the report. They suspected it could be
a marijuana-growing operation.

When a deputy rang the doorbell, they heard a noise from the back of
the house. Officials then saw three men running through the backyard
into some woods and a helicopter and police dog were called in to
help search for them.

Another deputy saw three men leaving the woods on the north side of
the house, and [redacted] were apprehended.

Inside the house, investigators say they discovered 171 marijuana
plants. The home reportedly had special lighting and watering
systems, and the walls were covered with foil-coated foam boards.
Almost every room had marijuana plants growing in pots, and water
lines had been installed on the floor to water them.

The kitchen area had many large containers of plant food used to
fertilize the marijuana, authorities said.