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A man from Greater Noida was arrested after the police discovered illegal cultivation of cannabis inside his apartment in a housing society, reported PTI on Tuesday.
The accused, Rahul Chaudhary, is an English graduate who hails from the Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh, who was cultivating a variety of cannabis in his flat on the 10th floor in a high-end setup.
Around 80 ganja plants with more than 2 kg of cannabis were seized from the apartment, the report stated, citing Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan.
The accused was growing cannabis for almost six months, inspired by web series and crime dramas.
He was held near the P-3 roundabout in the Beta-2 area by the local Beta-2 police station officials and those from Ecotech-1 police station, and in coordination with the district’s anti-narcotics team.
Following this, the police raided his apartment, Flat No. 1001, Tower 5, Parsvnath Panorama, and secured around 2.070 kg of cannabis and 163.4 grams of high-grade ‘OG’ cannabis, the report said.
“The accused was utilising advanced aeroponic techniques, which he learned through online resources, to cultivate cannabis in a fully controlled environment,” the report quoted DCP Khan.
“He had invested in specialised equipment to regulate temperature, lighting and humidity within the flat, creating ideal conditions for growing cannabis without soil,” he added.
According to the police, the accused allegedly procured seeds from international websites and used encrypted messaging platforms to communicate with buyers to avoid detection. He used the dark web for operations.
“The setup would cost between ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 per plant, yielding high-quality cannabis that sold for upwards of ₹60,000 per 30-gram yield,” the DCP was quoted as saying.
The police also confiscated various fertilisers, pesticides, packaging items and digital scales during the raid.
A case has been filed under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, along with other legal proceedings, the report stated. Additionally, a detailed investigation is going on to discover the links and networks of the accused, it added.