A shop boss was stunned to find a cannabis farm and a fully furnished bedroom in the basement after he went to check the fuse box.
Staff at the Minuteman Press premises, in Cardiff, had noticed strange smells and sounds for weeks before the discovery.
But it was not until a power cut that they discovered the source of the aroma.
The cannabis farm found in the basement of the building that houses Minuteman Press in Cardiff
When director Glenn Ingle, 51, went down to the basement, which is separately owned, he found someone had moved in a bed, desk, sofa and microwave and set up a tent full of cannabis plants. In total 63 plants were removed by police.
Mr Ingle said he fears the illegal farm was there for at least three weeksbefore he found it and called the police on November 17.
He added: ‘In the morning the power went off.
‘I said I would go downstairs then. The staff said they had heard noises coming from there.
‘I went downstairs and came back and said to my manageress, “well the good news is it’s not the power. The Bad news is I think I know what it is”.
‘The next thing I did was call the police because I had found a cannabis farm.’
Staff at the Minuteman Press premises, in Cardiff, had noticed strange smells and sounds for weeks before the discovery
The room was littered with personal belongings including a framed photo of a school-aged girl, books and a picture and poem dedicated to ‘Nan’
The room was littered with personal belongings including a framed photo of a school-aged girl, books and a picture and poem dedicated to Nan.
The building has several floors and is rented by different people. The basement, which Minuteman Press have access to for maintenance reasons, has a separate entrance at the rear of the building.
Mr Ingle said he thinks the perpetrator might have ‘scarpered’ as he came downstairs.
He added: ‘I was quite shocked and found it very odd. The person had set up house.
‘I’m sure the smell would have eventually alerted us. The person must have the brain cells of a goldfish.’
A spokesperson from South Wales Police said: ‘So far there have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.’