DETROIT (WXYZ) — You might not have guessed much was happening inside the large windowless building on the corner of East Seven Mile and Irvington on Detroit's east side, but investigators with the Wayne County Sheriff say they received a tip that there was an illegal marijuana grow operation inside.
When they executed a search warrant Thursday, they found much more than they anticipated in the 18,000-square-foot building.
Police seized 800 marijuana plants from the building. Most were taller than the average person.
There were rows of red Solo cups and in them were seedlings just a few inches high.
In one area, a large amount of marijuana that appeared to be in the process of drying had been thinly spread out across the dirty floor.
On the second floor, we're told there is also a large homemade bird cage housing a number of parakeets.
Pageant Atterberry, communications director for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, said DTE also discovered an illegal electrical hookup to the building and that so much power was being used it should have equated to about $20,000 to $30,000 in monthly usage.
Eight men and women were arrested.
One man who lives in the area said he figured this day would finally come. He said the unmistakable smell of marijuana has been in the air around there for about two years.
Stay with 7 Action News for this developing story.
