Article VI Drug Police Seize Cannabis Garden

By Carl Schreck

STAFF WRITER

Drug police have arrested a Moscow region man on suspicion of growing copious amounts of cannabis in his apartment and selling it to the teenage patrons of a dance club that he operates.

Officers from the regional branch of the Federal Drug Control Service arrested the man, whose name has not been released, on March 28 in his apartment in the city of Voskresensk after receiving a tip that he was cultivating large amounts of cannabis, drug control spokeswoman Yekaterina Kosova said.

Upon searching the apartment, police discovered indoor growing equipment – including heat lamps and automatic watering devices – and learned the suspect had tapped an outdoor power line in an apparent attempt to save money on his electricity bill, Kosova said.

Police confiscated 84 cannabis plants along with 190 grams of marijuana and a stash of hashish, Kosova said. Police also confiscated several packages of different sorts of hemp seeds – a veritable starter’s kit for growing marijuana – that the suspect had apparently received in the mail from abroad, she said.

The suspect, who Moskovsky Komsomolets reported was 35 years old, has been charged with possession of a large amount of an illegal substance. A conviction carries up to 10 years in prison.

Kosova said police were preparing to also charge the suspect with selling the marijuana and hashish to teenagers who frequented a dance club that he ran in Voskresensk. She declined to identify the club. “We are still trying to establish the entire network of dealers before we charge him with dealing,” Kosova said. “There was too much in the apartment for him to sell all by himself.”

Kosova declined to comment on the tip that led police to the suspect. Kosova said cannabis gardeners were rare but not unheard of in the Moscow region. “We have had about five such cases in the last six months,” she said.

Separately, drug police on Saturday detained a Moscow region teacher on suspicion of selling drugs to his students. The 35-year-old man was carrying 1.6 kilograms of opiates when he was arrested, Moskovsky Komsomolets said.

Task 1. Look through the article. Which of these issues are mentioned in the article and which are not?

1. cannabis garden in the apartment

2. cultivating poppy in the city of Voskresensk

3. seeds received from abroad

4. conviction carries up to 10 years in prison

5. cannabis gardeners are not so often to be heard of in the Moscow region

6. selling drugs to students

Task 2. Complete the table using the words from the article.

Verb	Noun
… search confiscate … … detain	suspicion … … charge dealer …

Task 3. Match 1 – 6 with a) – f) to make expressions used in the article.

1. drug a) a tip

2. dance b) substance

3. receiving c) gardeners

4. watering d) police

5. illegal e) devices

6. cannabis f) club

Task 4. Find expressions in the article that mean:

1. someone who enjoys growing flowers and plants

2. to find

3. to officially take private property away from someone

4. to go often to a particular place

5. to name someone or something

6. a secret warning to police about illegal activities

Task 5. Over to you. What is the main idea of the article?