Click Here to listen to a news conference about the bust

Oak Creek Police say a big pot growing operation busted in Oak Creek, Franklin and Sturtevant was very sophisticated.

Early Tuesday morning, officers acted on search warrants on three suspected marijuana growing operations - one in Oak Creek and two in Franklin. Another warrant was also executed later in the day in Sturtevant.

Authorities say they recovered more than 2,000 marijuana plants in the bust.  Those plants have an estimated street value of 3-5 million dollars.

Five people were also taken into custody in connection to the illegal gardening.

Police Lieutenant John Edwards says the homes being used to grow the pot were all new homes in nice neighborhoods.  Edwards says it appears the suspects were using the homes in an attempt to keep a low profile.

In addition, Edwards says, "the electrical systems were bypassed underground and spliced into the main power prior to the electrical boxes as to avoid drawing any attention to the amount of power used at those addresses."  The lights used to grow marijuana plants consume a large amount of power.  That power consumption is often an early indicator for authorities that something illegal is happening in a home.

Edwards says the homes where the pot was being grown are in bad shape.  "When we went into the homes, you come into the upstairs area, the ceilings had collapsed, if you went in you saw a microwave that was completely covered in mold."

Edwards says health officials have looked at the homes.  He says there is no danger to neighbors, but the homes have been deemed uninhabitable.