Cannabis, is a booming business in the twin cities, keeping this in mind a banker from Hyderabad started growing it at his home. The two bedroom flat that he resides in has been turned into a scientifically temperature controlled experiment to allow cannabis to grow from seed to flowers with the help of his American friend.
Syed Shahed Hussain, 33, was a former bank employee and operates from a flat at Friends Colony in Manikonda. His business came into light when Special Task Force personnel raided his apartment and seized these plants. The police were astonished by the facilities, that include humidifiers and LED lights to provide the right conditions for the growth of cannabis. This incident came to light when he was trying to sell the stuff to customers at Golconda on Sunday night.
Shahed with his family stays in a rented flat at the YK Residency in Friends Colony from the last three months. On a tip off from an anonymous person, the police posted a vigilante at Zeeshan cafe near Banjari Darwaza near Golconda. On Sunday evening they caught him in action at the same spot. The police then raided his flat where they found neatly potted 40 cannabis plants in two bedrooms.
N. Koti Reddy, the task force additional deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) said, “Shahed installed ACs in both rooms to maintain a conducive temperature. He also kept LED lights above the plants to maintain natural light-like situation and kept table fans in swing mode to give them sufficient air.” According to the police, Shahed has been addicted to cannabis from his teenage, and began peddling since a few years. The police also said Shahed would purchase ganja from Andhra Pradesh at Rs. 3,500 a kilo and sell it for Rs.16,000 a kilo in Hyderabad city.
After smuggling for many years, he developed the idea of growing his own marijuana at home and contacted his friend Gareth Christopher in the USA, with his advice he learned cannabis cultivation by watching videos on YouTube. He got the required soil for growth from Vizag, East Godavari, and several other places.
He would not let his friends or anyone visit him at this apartment and kept it a secret for years. He is now under arrest at the Golconda Police Station in the Hyderabad city limits.
