When police officers raided a 10th-floor flat in Greater Noida on Tuesday, they were stunned by what they found: an indoor nursery dedicated not to flowers, but to fully grown cannabis plants and equipment for their cultivation, as reported by The Indian Express.
“It looked like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie,” recalled Inspector Anuj Kumar. “We expected a few cannabis plants in pots, but instead we found full-spectrum lights, temperature control equipment, and cannabis plants organised by variety.”
The raid at Parsvnath Panorama Society came after police received a tip-off about illegal cannabis cultivation. Rahul Choudhary, a 46-year-old living alone in the apartment, was arrested on charges of cultivating and selling cannabis through the dark web, According to IE.
DCP Saad Miya Khan explained that police initially set up a trap after hearing Choudhary planned to deliver a consignment. “We didn’t know he was growing cannabis inside his flat,” Khan said.
Choudhary was apprehended at a roundabout in Greater Noida as he handed a packet to a buyer. Upon questioning, he revealed he was cultivating cannabis himself inside his flat.
A team of officers raided his apartment, uncovering an elaborate setup: around 80 cannabis plants valued at Rs 50-60 lakh, various strains labelled by type, artificial lighting, air-conditioning for temperature control, and all the necessary chemicals and equipment.
Choudhary, who holds a post-graduate degree in English, previously ran an eatery that shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic. Police reported that he had since turned to the dark web, movies, and books to learn about cannabis cultivation.
Originally from Meerut, Choudhary was estranged from his wife and children. He admitted that he began growing cannabis four months ago and was expecting his first harvest. According to DCP Khan, Choudhary ordered seeds from the foreign website Seedsman and paid via PayPal. His estimated production cost per plant was Rs 5,000-6,000, while he aimed to sell each one online for Rs 50,000-60,000.
Police recovered 2,070 grams of illegal cannabis and 163.4 grams of OG (a type of high-grade cannabis) during the raid. Choudhary has been booked under Section 20 of the NDPS Act.