KOCHI: Police arrested a 37-year-old woman on Thursday for growing ganja on her rooftop garden. Mary Ann Clement, of Josun House, was arrested after the police raided her house at Vattekkadu Road near Kaloor in Kochi. A police team led by Ernakulam North Circle Inspector found five fully-grown marijuana plants cultivated in pots.
Police said she was working as a tourist guide and insurance agent. The woman lives with her mother. Her brother is employed in Chennai. Erankulam North sub-inspector Vipin Das said that six-month-old plants grown to a height of 6.5 feet were seized from the residence of the accused. “During interrogation she said ganja plants were given to her by one of her friends," he said.
The accused said that she planted the ganja six months back. She, however, has not revealed the name of her accomplices, said a police official. A police team police has been scouting the area for the past three days on a tip-off that marijuana was being cultivated in one of the houses. Police sources said a detailed probe will be conducted to check if the woman had any links with the organized ganja peddlers in the city.
In another incident, Tripunithura police seized hashish oil worth several lakhs of rupees and detained a 28-year-old in this connection. The accused has been identified as Arshad Ibrahim belonging to Erumeli in Pathanamthitta district.
According to police he was arrested from an isolated place near Arkkakkadavu Bridge based on a tip-off. The police recovered 374 grams of hasish oil and 1 kg of ganja from him. According to the cops the accused was planning to sell contraband to school students in Kochi. He was booked under provisions of the NDPS Act.
