Mumbai police bust illegal hydroponic cannabis lab allegedly set up using YouTube tutorials

Mumbai police busted an illegal hydroponic cannabis cultivation lab operating from a house in Borivali and arrested one accused. Officials recovered cannabis and specialised equipment allegedly used for controlled cultivation. The main accused is absconding, police said

Mumbai: A case involving the illegal cultivation of hydroponic cannabis, allegedly learned through YouTube videos, has come to light in Mumbai’s Borivali area, where police busted an illegal cultivation laboratory at a house and arrested one of the accused, the officials said on Sunday.

The search for another accused, who is allegedly the main person involved in the operation, is currently underway, they added.

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Acting on specific information, police raided and dismantled the illegal laboratory located in the MHB Colony area of Ganpat Patil Nagar in Borivali.

During the investigation, the officials found that the accused were allegedly attempting to grow hydroponic cannabis by using scientific cultivation techniques that they had learned through videos available on YouTube.

According to the investigation, the illegal laboratory had been equipped with specialised equipment to facilitate the cultivation process.

Investigators said that Grow LED lights and other devices were being used to regulate and maintain conditions such as temperature, humidity and pH levels, allowing the accused to create a controlled environment for growing the cannabis plants.

According to the officials, during the operation, police recovered 54 grams of hydroponic cannabis from the premises. The seized substance was estimated to be worth approximately Rs 1.62 lakh.

In addition, the investigators recovered around 189 grams of wet cannabis, valued at approximately Rs 2.5 lakh, along with various pieces of equipment allegedly being used for cultivation.

Police have arrested one accused identified as Babbu Kamat in connection with the case, according to the officials. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to locate and arrest the alleged main accused, Rahul Thakur.

Investigators are also examining the laboratory setup and other evidence recovered from the location as part of the probe into the illegal cultivation operation.

Further details into the case are awaited.