NCB busts weed racket run from a two-bhk flat

MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday busted an indoor marijuana unit being run from a 2BHK flat at Dombivli where two persons were cultivating hybrid marijuana through hydroponic technique — without soil, using artificial light for photosynthesis and air circulation system.

The arrested accused are Javed Jahangir Shaikh and Arshad Khatri. NCB allegedly seized more than 1kg hybrid cannabis worth ₹80 lakh from the duo as well as equipment used to cultivate the contraband.

NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede said, “The accused had procured the seeds from Amsterdam and the Netherlands through the dark web and sold the contraband material to suppliers in Mumbai and Pune at the rate of around ₹5,000 per gram. The peddlers, in turn, sold it to consumers at around ₹8,000 per gram.”

Shaikh and Khatri were nabbed from Dombivli. During interrogation, they disclosed the location of the flat where they cultivated marijuana. “We then raided the flat. Apart from drugs, we also seized several materials for cultivation, PH regulators, plant nutrients, clay pebbles, water pumps, air circulation systems, CO2 gas cylinders, photosynthesis lighting systems etc,” said Wankhede.

During interrogation, the agency learnt that the accused were allegedly producing drugs for more than a year in the flat owned by Rehan Khan, who lives in Saudi Arabia and allegedly financed the activity.

“Khan is a relative of Shaikh and financed the racket. Khatri is an expert in hydroponic cultivation while Shaikh used to manage distribution of harvest. We have been investigating to find out their entire network and connection with wanted accused Sahil Flacko,” police said.