Russian DJ arrested for hydroponic cultivation of marijuana

The police have also seized 1.7 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth around ₹85 lakh and around 300 gm of hydroponic marijuana powder, valued at around ₹18 lakh.

“Yuri Korytin had rented out a place in Paliem, Pernem (north Goa) where he set up a nursery facility and grew these narcotic substances. During interrogation, he revealed that he was using certain international websites to import these seeds to India and then grow the plants at the nursery. He was selling the produce through the dark web and social media communication channels such as Telegram,” superintendent of police Akshat Kaushal said.

Korytin, who has been shuttling between Goa and Russia since 2016, learnt the art of hydroponic cultivation of cannabis during a trip to Thailand in 2019. Cannabis is legal in Thailand. However, owing to the low profitability of the business in Thailand, he shifted base to Goa. Korytin also performed as a DJ at various places in Morjim and Arambol, coastal villages in Goa that are popular among foreigners.

“He came to Goa in 2020 and since then he has been making year-round trips to Goa. In his present assignment, he came to Goa in 2023 with his wife and 6-year-old child. He has been staying at a rented apartment at Siolim,” Kaushal also said.

“We are interrogating him to try and understand who his buyers are and what other kinds of narcotic substances he was dealing in. Most of the buyers were foreign nationals, who were his main consumers. We are in the process of getting Russian translators to help us better in interrogating him,” Kaushal said.

The SP added that the police also taking the help of central government agencies to ascertain whether there is any linkage of crypto currency and understand the entire money flow.