[Poohbah]

I can't see a crank lab in a densely populated neighborhood, although you can't underestimate the idiocy of criminals. When you cook meth it makes a huge stink. I live in the crank lab capital of the U.S., the San Joaquin valley and have had numerous labs busted within a ten mile radius. Rural areas are prefered because of the distance between homes, vacant farm houses, and sparse law enforcement.

There have been some of the damndest home-brewed HVAC installations here in San Diego to divert the odor. If the criminals had applied their engineering smarts to legit work, they'd probably have made more money.

[gracie1]

Those are good points. Sort of like people who try to camoflauge the heat generated from the grow lights in the basement pot garden. And if it's a neighborhood with mostly elderly people, they may not be aquainted with the MO of a crank lab.