3.31 kg hydroponically grown cannabis or ‘hydro ganja’ worth Rs. 3 crore seized

Madikeri: The Kodagu District Police have dismantled an international drug trafficking network operating from Thailand, arresting seven individuals involved in smuggling hydroponically grown cannabis (ganja), commonly known as ‘hydro ganja’.

Mohammad Anuf, a café owner from Kerala, based in Bangkok, collaborated with K.A. Mehroof-37 from Kerala’s Kasaragod district and M.A. Ravoof-28 from Arji village in Kodagu district. Their plan involved transporting ‘hydro ganja’ by air to India and Dubai.

On Sept. 23, 2024, C.H. Yahya from Yedapala village in Kodagu was assigned the task of bringing 3 kg 31 grams of ‘hydro ganja’ from Bangkok to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, arriving at 11.30 pm. He managed to avoid detection by the Customs and Narcotics sleuths at the Airport. 

Upon his arrival, Yahya was picked up by M.U. Nasiruddin-26 of Gundigere in Heggala village near Virajpet, along with M.N. Akinas-26 from Kunjila village, C.E. Wajid-26 from Betoli village — all from Kodagu district — and P.M. Riyaz-44 from Kallithea village, Kannur in Kerala.

They travelled in a Skoda car (KL-72-D-6697) to Kodagu district, where they checked in at Belliappa Residency in Gonikoppal.

While awaiting further instructions from Mehroof, the group planned to relocate from Gonikoppal to Madikeri to avoid arousing suspicion. However, they were intercepted by the Kodagu Police Department’s District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB) sleuths.

The operation, based on a tip-off took place on Sept. 28 at 1 am near Ramya Service Station on Virajpet Road in Madikeri, resulting in the arrest of five suspects.

The Police seized 3 kg 31 grams of hydroponic cannabis valued at approximately Rs. 3 crore, along with the vehicle used for transportation. Another suspect, Ravoof, was arrested the same day at his residence in Bengaluru by another team from Kodagu.

On Sept. 29, the primary accused, Mehroof, was arrested at Kochi Airport while attempting to flee to Bangkok. This operation was coordinated with Ernakulam District SP Vaibhav Saxena and Kochi Airport Immigration Officer Krishnaraj.

This case is particularly significant, as hydroponic cannabis is more potent than regular cannabis and is priced significantly higher. It is cultivated using artificial lighting and grown in climate-controlled environments with water as the primary medium.

Kodagu Additional SP K.S. Sundar Raj, Madikeri Deputy Superintendent of Police Mahesh Kumar DCRB Inspector I.P. Medappa, Madikeri Town Circle Inspector P.K. Raju, Rural Inspector Anoop Madappa, Sub-Inspector Lokesh of the Madikeri Town Police Station, Napoklu Police Sub-Inspector Manjunath and staff Yogesh, Murali, Niranjan, Ravikumar and Sharath Rai were part of the operation.

Technical assistance was provided by District Police unit staff C.K. Rajesh and Praveen Kumar. Kodagu District Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Ramarajan commended the investigative teams for their tireless efforts over 72 hours to successfully crack this case.