Russians arrested for growing cannabis indoors

Police of Phan Thiet Town’s Ham Tien Ward carried out a surprise raid at a house rented by Kushnarev and his girlfriend, both Russian, at the Ham Tien-Mui Ne tourist area.

They found dozens of cannabis plants in an enclosed room, covered with cloth and supported with a watering, ventilation and lighting system. Some processed, dry cannabis was also found inside the room.

The Russian couple had admitted to planting them for personal use.

Police said the two rented the house about six months ago, then went on social media to buy seeds, pots, soil, fertilizers and tools to plant cannabis and process it.

An investigation is ongoing, they added.

Late last year, another Russian named Shedko Dmitri was also found planting cannabis in his bedroom in the same tourist area. In May this year, he was sentenced to seven months in prison for storing narcotics.

Cannabis is on the list of narcotics forbidden in Vietnam. Those growing cannabis on a small scale could be fined VND2-5 million ($86.16-215.40). Farmers found cultivating 500 to 3,000 plants could face jail terms of six months to three years, while those working on bigger scale could spend up to seven years behind bars.