Marijuana Grow Operation Found in Manhattan Apartment
More Than 700 Marijuana Plants with Street-Value of Over 2.8 Million Seized

Grow Room	Drying Room

APR 9 -- (New York) John P. Gilbride, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, announced the dismantlement of a sophisticated hydroponic marijuana indoor grow operation and the seizure of over 700 marijuana plants that were each three to four feet high.

SAC Gilbride stated, “Marijuana cultivation and distribution is a crime that generates millions of dollars in illegal profit. Last night, DEA discovered and shut down a complex marijuana grow lab that had the potential to harvest hundreds of high potency marijuana plants.

DEA Agents Removing Marijuana from Apartment in Manhattan

DEA Special Agents gleaned information that a vacant apartment located at 1895 Amsterdam Avenue was being used to produce marijuana. DEA Agents went to the location and could smell a strong odor emanating from the apartment. On March 27, 2007 a federal search warrant was obtained through the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York.

Upon entering the vacant apartment, DEA Agents discovered a sophisticated marijuana grow operation inside the six room apartment. Electrical power had been pirated from at least two locations along with other utilities including water and natural gas. There were six different rooms which contained varying stages of marijuana growth; a grow room, drying room, packaging room and processing room. The apartment contained various timers for lighting, heat, two large commercial grade air conditioning systems as well as several pumping systems for water and fertilizer to the plants in the various growing room. The apartment windows were covered on the inside and equipped with lighting within the window frames to give the appearance that it was a normal apartment window from the outside.

DEA Agents Removing Marijuana from Apartment in Manhattan

DEA Agents removed over 700 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $2,800,000, as well as the equipment to facilitate a marijuana grow operation.

SAC John Gilbride commends the members of the Fire Department of New York and Con Edison who assisted with this enforcement operation.