Three cannabis growers took a risk when they bought a USD$590,000 custom-built home for their grow-op in Merced County, about two hours from San Francisco, say police. Complete with wrap-around porch and lovely views, the home was purchased in cash in April, gutted and converted to a grow-op, the county Sheriff’s Office notes in a Facebook post.

According to Mercury News, the real estate listing mentioned the home’s extensive storage space, including two three-car garages, and the privacy of the 1.6-acre lot.

The house was anything like what many would envision an illicit grow house to be. But the clever cloak of utter normalcy was not enough to fool police.

This past weekend, authorities raided the premises, revealing the interior of the house did not match the outside. The attractive shell contained an extensive growing operation.

The Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET) served seven search warrants throughout the area on June 21 and 22. In the expensive home, the officers they found evidence of illegal weed cultivation, manufacturing and processing.

The team “eradicated 7,532 marijuana plants, 500 pounds of harvested finished product and seized three firearms,” the sheriff’s office reports. Only six marijuana plants per residence and grown indoors is allowed.

“It should be noted that the businesses and buildings being used to cultivate and manufacture the marijuana, were a danger to everyone who had access to the property due to the electrical and chemical issues the SET Team found,” the statement notes.

North of San Francisco in Redding, firefighters had to be called to a home containing more than 4,500 cannabis plants earlier this week. Though firefighters managed to douse the fire at the single-storey home in about 20 minutes, the home sustained major damage to the attic and roof as a result of faulty electrical wiring, according to KRCR TV.

In the Merced County raid, six people were cited for various violations of the Merced County Code, including electrical and chemical hazards, Violations within the buildings and structures will be addressed with the property owners.

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