So, 26-year-old Chembur resident, Nikhil Sharma reportedly decided to try his hand at making some home-made ganja. Accordingly, he along with a few of his friends read about the tips to grow ganja at home, reports Mumbai Mirror. Learning from it, the man bought all the necessary items and equipment for the same and set up a ganja lab using the advance hydroponics technology.
Hydroponics technology is a high tech method of growing plants without the use of soil with the help of mineral nutrients. Police have seized more than 1 Kg of hemp from the residence of Sharma’s friend.
“This is probably for the first time that we have come across a case in which ganja was being cultivated at home with such advanced technology,” said senior inspector Ashok Khot.
“They got the equipment from China and the seeds from Australia and New Zealand. These seeds are meant for the hydroponic system only and the ganja they produce is much stronger than the naturally grown plant. They have been doing this for the past year and their main customers are college students and residents of Chembur,” another police officer added.
While normally grown ganja costs Rs 50 per gram, ganja grown with the help of hydroponics costs as much as Rs. 2000 per gram. The police also explained that it takes atleast two to three months to grow this type of hemp.
Joint commissioner Santosh Rastogi said that a crime branch team was patrolling in Chembur when they spotted a man suspiciously roaming around with a sack. When they approached him the man tried to flee but was caught. He turned out to be Sharma with around 1 kg of ganja and 54 grams of Mephedrone worth Rs. 2.9 lakh in all, reports Science Independence.
Sharma was immediately held and has been charged under Narcotic, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. During interrogation, Sharma revealed the details about how he had managed to grow Marijuana at home.
Police said, “We then conducted a search at the said residence at Palav Baug in Mahul Village and found three hydroponic tents, pots LED lights, a timer mechanism, a soil pH tester, hydroponic nutrients and various types of seeds. The materials are worth Rs 6 lakh in all.”