Seizures Of Indoor Marijuana On The Rise

Philadelphia police snagged almost six pounds of marijuana grown hydroponically - without soil - last year.

So far this year, they have captured more than 800 pounds, worth more than $7 million.

Most of it comes from small "grows" such as the nine 3-foot-tall plants officials say they found in Daniel Brough's closet, which burst into flames Friday in an electrical fire that caused the deaths of two firefighters.

"The wiring in these small grows is usually a mess," said Inspector Joe Sullivan of the Police Department's Narcotics Division.

Fire officials said the hot lights used to encourage plant growth dried out the wood in the closet, causing the electrical fire to spread more quickly.

Capt. John Taylor, 53, and firefighter Rey Rubio, 42, died after becoming trapped in the basement of the Port Richmond house Brough rented. Brough, 35, faces charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, causing a catastrophe, risking a catastrophe, possession with intent to deliver and possession of paraphernalia.

Sullivan and Lt. Kevin J. Bethel, also from the Narcotics Division, said the fire was the first in the city that was directly related to an indoor operation. Fire Department officials declined yesterday to discuss the scope and layout of the operation.

Sullivan said he was unsure whether the increase in seizures of hydroponic marijuana over last year was because more was being grown or because police were better tapped into the industry.

Hydroponic marijuana is reputed to bring a bigger buzz than plants grown outside because growers feed the roots a steady stream of nutrients in a sheltered environment.

The gardening method, which is often used legally for tomatoes and other plants, has been around since the late 1940s, Jay Holcomb, professor of horticulture at Pennsylvania State University, said. Plants are grown in a nutrient solution, mostly water and fertilizer.

Holcomb said he did not think that the hydroponic method would add a more powerful kick to the plant, but could understand why the method was so popular.

"It's illegal to grow in the garden and it's easy to see, so there are advantages to doing it without someone else seeing it," he said.

Secrecy can be costly. Each light costs $175 or more, and the bulbs can be $60 each, Sullivan said. That's not including the electricity bills.

Last May, Philadelphia police found 206 plants in a University City warehouse and 444 in a nearby rowhouse growing under intense ultraviolet lights, hooked to an irrigation system and fed with nitrogen and fertilizer.

The warehouse had an electric bill of $9,000 a month, police said.

"If they hadn't been growing marijuana, it would have been up to code," Bethel said. "They clearly had an electrician set it up - there were timers to turn on the lights. It was a very professional operation."

Michael Wood, a spokesman for Peco Energy Co., said the company has software that targets customers with above- and below-average costs. However, the company investigates only when someone is using less electricity than average, "from a revenue-protection prospective," he said.

Higher bills, he said, do not warrant investigation unless they are not paid.

"If there is suspected criminal activity, we can't share that information unless the police contacts us," Wood said.

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