The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a man for allegedly cultivating cannabis, also called ‘ganja’, inside his apartment in a Greater Noida society and selling it on the dark web.
According to a PTI report, English graduate Rahul Chaudhary was allegedly growing a variety of cannabis in planters in his flat on the 10th floor of the building with a sophisticated cultivation setup.
“80 ganja plants along with over 2 kg of cannabis were seized from the apartment of the accused. He had been cultivating cannabis for about six months. He was inspired by web series and crime dramas to get into the illegal cultivation of the contraband in his apartment,” Saad Miya Khan, deputy commissioner of police (Greater Noida), told PTI.
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According to DCP Khan, Chaudhary was arrested near the P-3 roundabout in the Beta-2 area by the local Beta-2 police station officials along with those from Ecotech-1 police station and in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Team of the district.
After raiding his residence, Flat No. 1001, Tower 5 at Parsvnath Panorama, the police seized approximately 2.070 kg of cannabis and 163.4 grams of high-grade ‘OG’ cannabis, the report added.
Accused ordered seeds from international website: Police
DCP Khan said Chaudhary was allegedly using advanced aeroponic techniques which he learned through online resources, to cultivate cannabis in a fully controlled environment.
“He had invested in specialised equipment to regulate temperature, lighting and humidity within the flat, creating ideal conditions for growing cannabis without soil,” DCP Khan added.
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The senior police officer further said that Chaudhary allegedly ordered seeds from international websites and used encrypted messaging platforms to communicate with buyers to avoid detection.
Chaudhary used the dark web for his 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 officer said.
Fertilisers, pesticides, and digital scales confiscated
The police recovered several fertilisers, pesticides, packaging items and digital scales during the raid.
A case has been filed under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further legal proceedings are underway. A detailed investigation into the links and network of the accused is also ongoing.