Illegal Pot Grow Busted On Girard Drive

Milpitas Police earlier this month arrested two for illegally growing 368 marijuana plants in a Girard Drive home.

Viet Nguyen, 30, and Su Lee, 33, both of Santa Clara, were arrested at a home on the 100 block of Girard Drive at 12:31 p.m. on April 12. Police stopped the two as they left the house to execute a search warrant of the property, according to police reports.

Investigators found the home had been turned into an illegal indoor marijuana grow, according to reports. The 368 plants seized had an estimated street value of $500,000.

Nguyen and Lee were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail for illegal marijuana cultivation and theft of utilities. 

Milpitas Police offer the following tips for landlords and neighbors to identify illegal pot grows in homes:

• The tenant pays in cash only.
• The tenants change locks and don't provide access to the property.
• The tenant is never home.
• The tenant alters utility equipment on the property.
• The tenant adds ventilation to the home.
• The smell of marijuana comes from the residence.

Anyone with information should call Milpitas Police at 408-586-2400; report it anonymously at 408-586-2500; or visit the department's website.