Police said Bhiwandiwala’s friend sent him the link to the Darknet from where they placed an order. They had offered the contraband to a college student and had accordingly placed the order, police added. (Representational)

The son of the owner of a well-known sweet shop in Mahim, and his friend were arrested by the Crime Branch on Saturday for allegedly selling “hydro” marijuana, which is considered to be high quality, to a college student.

According to police, Arif Mithaiwala (22) and his friend Faiz Bhiwandiwala (31) had ordered the contraband from Darknet, a part of the internet that cannot be accessed through search engines and known to be used for illegal activity.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Akbar Pathan said, “We received a tip-off about two men ordering hydro weed from the Darknet. Based on this, we laid a trap on Turner Road in Bandra from where they were arrested. We found 224 gm of marijuana in their possession, which is estimated to be worth Rs 5.3 lakh.”

Crime Branch Senior Inspector (Unit IX) Mahesh Desai said Bhiwandiwala worked in Saudi Arabia and had recently returned to the city. “We suspect that he was finding it difficult to return due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A friend in Saudi told him that he could make money by selling high quality drugs available on the Darknet.”

Police said Bhiwandiwala’s friend sent him the link to the Darknet from where they placed an order. They had offered the contraband to a college student and had accordingly placed the order, police added.

In December too, the Crime Branch had arrested two persons in Chembur, who had allegedly grown hydroponic marijuana at their home. They had ordered the equipment on the Darknet and had seen YouTube videos to learn the process.

Hydroponic weed does not use soil but nutrients are added to the indoor plant. It is supposed to be of high quality and is sold at high rates as compared to regular marijuana.

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