Mumbai: Two held for growing cannabis in 2-BHK flat | Mumbai News – Times of India

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Mumbai: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested two persons, including a marine biologist, for illegally growing cannabis in a 2-BHK flat at Dombivli and selling it to high-profile customers in the city. One kg of cannabis worth Rs80 lakh has also been seized. Investigators said the drug was being cultivated using hydroponics, which does not require soil, with seeds imported from the Netherlands.
Marine biologist Arshad Khatri and Javed Jahangir Shaikh were arrested from Yari Road in Andheri on Wednesday. Police are on the lookout for Saudi-based NRI Rehan Khan, said to be the main financier of the syndicate.
What has baffled the agency is that the accused had been carrying out cultivation using an elaborate set-up in the flat owned by Khan at Palava City for the past six to eight months. It is suspected that the turnover was in crores. The team has recovered the cultivation set-up including PH regulators, plant nutrients, clay pebbles, water pumps, air circulation systems, CO2 gas cylinders and photosynthesis lighting systems from the flat.
“Khatri is an expert in hydroponic cultivation and Shaikh used to manage the distribution. They procured cannabis seeds from the Netherlands through the dark web,” said an official.
Investigators said hydroponic weed is in great demand among the affluent and at high-society parties. The accused sold it to peddlers in Mumbai and Pune at Rs8,000 per gm. The deals were either in cash or crypto currencies like bitcoins with sales being done using social media apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp.
NCB got a tip-off after they arrested Ganesh Shere, an MPSC candidate and Siddhant Amin from Parel last week. During their interrogation, Sahil Shah alias Sahil Flacko’s name cropped up. Flacko is a former neighbour of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Flacko and Rehan Khan’s names had figured during a probe into the drug angle in Rajput’s death. Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of NCB, led the team.
Meanwhile, in another case, the NCB intercepted African, Onurah Samuel Mike, and seized 30gm cocaine. Mike has told investigators he had got the consignment from Celestian, a Nigerian, who brings cocaine into the country frequently.
Celestian had given Mike 50 capsules (500gm) during his last visit. Mike used to sell the cocaine in Andheri, Bandra and Santacruz.