A man from Greater Noida has been arrested for growing cannabis in his flat and selling it through the dark web. By cultivating the plant in a space of some 25 square metre, he had earned upwards of Rs 20 lakh from its sale.
Saad Miya Khan, the DCP of Greater Noida, said the accused, Rahul Chaudhary, had created an indoor, temperature-controlled setup in his flat to grow cannabis. To imitate sunlight, the accused had used full spectrum light. Chaudhary was sourcing the seeds from a website called ‘Seedsman’.
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In the raid conducted by the Noida police, 80 plants and equipment were recovered from Chaudhary’s flat. “The total value of what we have recovered is between Rs 50-60 lakhs,” said Khan.
Seedsman is a site with an average review of 4.5 out of 5. Though based in the United Kingdom, it sends seeds across the world. A disclaimer on the site reads, “We refuse to sell cannabis seeds to anyone who we have reason to believe is going to use them to cultivate cannabis in countries where it is illegal. Follow us on social media to get details of when cannabis becomes legalised in different countries.”
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Seedsman advertises its cannabis seeds as “unmatched”.
“Our cannabis seed genetics are sourced from expert breeders across the globe, including the best in auto-flowering, regular, and feminised cannabis seeds,” it read. “Seedsman stocks incredibly potent high THC seeds and the best CBD cannabis seeds online. If you’re looking for the best genetics to collect in the world, look no further. We provide international postage, discreet delivery, up-to-date order tracking, and multiple payment options.”
Mian said that Chaudhary, who is a post graduate in English, got the idea from movies and web series.
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The raid was part of Operation Prahar, an initiative against the sale and use of illegal drugs, liquor and weapons.
Recently, a couple from Bengaluru was arrested after they accidentally showed off ganja saplings in video of their balcony garden posted on social media.