Hyderabad: A man who took inspiration from an American to turn his two-bedroom flat in Hyderabad into a virtual cannabis farm was arrested by Hyderabad police.

Syed Shahed Hussain, 33, a drug addict and also a peddler, was arrested by the police in Golkonda area of Hyderabad as he was selling narcotics to another person.

In the subsequent raid and search conducted at his flat in the posh Friends Colony in Mankonda area of Hitesh city, police were shocked to find a large number of pots of cannabis plants neatly placed in the two rooms.

Additional deputy commissioner of police N. Koti Reddy told the media that Shahed Hussain got the idea of this method of growing the drug within the confines of his home from an American friend Garith Christopher. “At his behest he watched online videos on how to grow these plants inside the flat. He procured plants and hi-tech devices to create the right atmosphere in the flat,” he added

Shahed installed LED bulbs to provide the necessary temperature, fans for providing air to the plants and also air conditioning to keep the ambience of the flat right for the proper growth of the plants.

He even brought the soil from north coastal Andhra where conditions suit the growth of the plant. He was also found to be using potassium and phosphorus to promote the growth of the plants. To keep his scheme under wraps, Shahed never allowed any visitor into his house and neighbours were also unaware of the goings-on.

Shahed, a graduate in psychology, had developed the habit of weed smoking from his younger days and later turned a peddler.

He used to procure saplings from Visakhapatanam and Tandur near Hyderabad at a price of Rs3,500 per kg and sell it in Hyderabad for Rs16,000 per kg.

He had come under the police scanner as the growing cannabis trade in Hyderabad and its supply to other cities had put the police on alert.

He was caught when he was selling the contraband to a customer in Golkonda area.