Police bust cannabis farm at Ponda

Panaji: The anti-narcotic cell (ANC) of Goa Police on Friday busted a hydroponic cannabis plantation at Borim, Ponda. Yuvraj Borkar, 31, was arrested for illegal possession of narcotic substances, including 150g of hydroponic weed, 1kg ganja and 15g of MDMA worth Rs 8.5 lakh. This is the first time a major drug plantation was found in the non-coastal belt.
Police said Borkar, who completed his diploma in civil engineering, was a drug addict for the past six years.The weed in the plantation is called celebrity weed and fetches a high price in the market. Normal ganja is sold in small packets for Rs 500, but celebrity weed costs Rs 4,000 per gram, police said.
Police said that Borkar never revealed his identity nor his contact number. He would sell the drugs in the North Goa coastal belt and used social media groups to get customers. He did not contact customers from South Goa.
Initial investigation by ANC revealed that the accused used to import seeds from an international website and cultivate hydroponic cannabis in the basement of his residence at Borim.
Certain modified LED lights used to assist the cultivation have also been recovered, SP ANC Akshat Kaushal said.
Police said that they have busted cannabis plantations mostly in the coastal belts of Bardez and Pernem.