A JEHOVAH’S Witness has uncovered a huge secret drug crop in a suburban house while doorknocking in a quiet street in Melbourne’s east.

The 77-year-old, did not wish to be identified, was surprised to find the door had been left wide open and the deadlock smashed in on the unassuming red brick house.

Fearing the Joseph St residence in Blackburn North had been burgled and a resident injured inside, he called police.

He never imagined what was really inside — five rooms packed with cannabis plants.

“For me, there was something wrong,” he told the Herald Sun.

“There was a lot of damage to the wooden door. It looked like they used a crow bar or something to jimmy it open.

“I put one foot in and peeped around. I called out ‘Is anybody there?’ several times but got no answer.

“It then crossed my mind that the person who had broke in may have still been in there so I didn’t want to go in and I called police.

“I thought they’d go in and find the people were on holidays and had been burgled, a TV stolen or something. It came as a surprise when I was told there was something growing inside.”

Police swooped on the property after getting his concerned call about 2pm on Monday.

They discovered all of the bedrooms had been gutted and turned into a hydroponic cannabis-growing setup, with integrated lighting and reticulated irrigation for about 75 plants.

Stacks of fertiliser were also stored throughout the house.

And the electricity supply had been tampered with to provide power for the crops.

Detective Sergeant Dennis Harnetty, from Whitehourse CIU, said it was a “professional” and “self-contained system” that did not need a crop-sitter to live there and tend to the plants.

“All of the bedrooms were occupied by plants,” he said. “It was a self-contained system once it was up and going.

“People would just come and check it throughout the night.”

He said the property had been privately rented out about six months ago without the landlord knowing of the intended illegal use.

It sustained more than $100,000 worth of damage.

“We have made contact with the owner and he was pretty well devastated,” he said.

“The walls, ceilings, carpets, basically everything has been gutted.”

The drug stash did not shock police, who come across houses used to grow cannabis every week.

The same could not be said for neighbours.

“I couldn’t believe this was going on right under our noses,” said one man, who lives on the cul-de-sac.

“I very rarely seen who lived there.

“Their movements were unusual though. They would only rock up during the night. I just thought they did night shifts.”

Det-Sgt Harnetty said an investigation was underway to catch those involved in the plantation.

He urged anyone with information about the drug house to call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au

TITLE: HS Crime Stoppers banner 650x72