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A high-tech marijuana operation, using imported seeds and full-spectrum grow lights, has been busted in Greater Noida and an English graduate from Meerut has been arrested. Police said the man cultivated at least 100 marijuana plants, including premium (OG) and other varieties, at his flat in Beta-2's Parsvnath Panorama society, selling the produce from each of them on the dark web for between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000.
He was inspired to get into the drug trade after watching web series and used to gather information on growing marijuana on the internet, said an official.
Briefing reporters on Tuesday, a senior police officer said the accused, Rahul Chowdhary, would grow premium marijuana (OG) in flower pots by purchasing cannabis seeds from an international website, making payments through PayPal. He said since Chowdhary could not expose the plants to sunlight for fear of getting caught, he used full-spectrum lights for the purpose and also had air conditioners set at specific temperatures to facilitate their growth.
"During his interrogation, Chowdhary said he started the cultivation around four months ago. It would take him roughly 100-110 days to grow one plant. Cultivating a plant would cost Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 and he would get Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 for each of them on the dark web," deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Saad Mian Khan told a press briefing.
The accused told police that he had managed to sell ganja from around 20 plants so far. At least 80 cannabis plants, over two kilograms of different types of marijuana, several chemicals and farming equipment were recovered from his flat, said Mr Khan.
"Chowdhary is a graduate in English and he used to watch web series on narcotics and read information on the internet to figure out how to grow marijuana," the DCP said, adding that Chowdhary's arrest was part of an ongoing crackdown on drug traffickers.