Police find mess of cables and surge protectors powering marijuana grow-op

SYDNEY, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Australian police busted a $1.5 million marijuana grow operation and shared a photo of the hazardous mess of cords used to power the growing equipment.

The New South Wales Police Force posted pictures on Facebook showing the 653 marijuana plants discovered being grown hydroponically Thursday at a Sydney industrial complex.

The pictures included a snapshot of the tangled mess of cords and surge protectors the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad discovered being used to direct stolen electricity from a next-door substation to the operation's equipment.

Police estimated the street value of the marijuana at about $1.5 million.

"That [photograph] is one of three blocks of electricity things. They were actually stealing the power from the substation next door. We had to get Energy Australia out to disconnect it to make it safe," Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"There's always electrical bypasses in these premises because they don't want to pay the large amounts of costs for running those large factories. Also, it's another way to avoid detection by law enforcement."

Two suspects, ages 38 and 53, were arrested on charges of cultivating a large commercial quantity of a prohibited plant and using electricity without authority.