Nikhil Satish Sharma and his friends used the internet to read up on the growth of marijuana and had bought all the required materials and equipment
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A 26-year-old Chembur resident has been arrested by the crime branch for allegedly growing marijuana(ganja) at his friend's house with the help of advanced technology called hydroponics.
According to the police, Nikhil Satish Sharma and his friends used the internet to read up on the growth of marijuana and had bought all the required materials and equipment.
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According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, the police seized a kilogram of the plant and various materials used to grow it. Senior inspector Ashok Khot said, "This is probably for the first time that we have come across a case in which ganja was being cultivated at home with such advanced technology."
An officer said, “They got the equipment from China and the seeds from Australia and New Zealand. These seeds are meant for the hydroponic system only and the ganja they produce is much stronger than the naturally grown plant. They have been doing this for the past year and their main customers are college students and residents of Chembur."
A police source said that the marijuana growing is costlier than the normal ganja. "It takes around three months to grow ganja with this system. He would to sell one gram of this ganja, which is called ‘hydro’ for Rs 2,000, whereas normal ganja is sold for Rs 50 a gram."
The incident came to light when a crime branch team led by inspector Nitin Patil was patrolling in Chembur, RCF and Deonar when they spotted man carrying a sack and roaming suspiciously near Mahul village. When they approached the man, he tried to flee but was apprehended.
Nitin Patil said, "On checking his bag we found one kilogram of ganja and 54 grams of Mephedrone, worth Rs 2.9 lakh in total. A case was registered against Sharma under sections of the Narcotic, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He will be in police custody until December 17."
During questioning, Sharma revealed that he had grown marijuana at a friend's house using a hydroponic system. Senior inspector Ashok Khot said, We then conducted a search at the said residence at Palav Baug in Mahul Village and found three hydroponic tents, LED lights, a timer mechanism, a soil pH tester, hydroponic nutrients and various types of seeds. The materials are worth Rs 6 lakh in all."
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