The discovery was made when local police forces inspected Kushnarev and his girlfriend’s tenanted house in Ham Tien ward and found the pair growing cannabis plants.

The plants were maintained in a mini greenhouse fitted with sufficient watering, artificial lighting, and temperature control systems. Several kilograms of dried cannabis was also found during the search, along with equipment used to plant and grow cannabis.

Kushnarev claimed that he had initially started growing the plants about a few months ago after buying seeds, fertiliser, chemicals, and tools from online merchants.

The Russian man then confessed to growing the hemp plants for himself. At present, the police are working alongside other agencies for further investigation.

The People's Court of Binh Thuan province handed a seven-month prison sentence on May 23 to a Russian man Shedko Dmitrii for illegal possession of narcotics.

On December 24, 2021, Dmitrii was caught in possession of a large amount of dried cannabis, totaling roughly three kg, as well as 27 live cannabis plants, ranging between 30 cm 140 cm in height and weighing six kg in total.

Cannabis is on the list of narcotics forbidden in the nation. Those caught growing cannabis on a small scale could be fined up to VND5 million, equal to US$215.40. In addition, farmers found cultivating 500 to 3,000 plants could face jail terms of six months to three years, while those working on a larger scale could spend up to seven years in jail.

Source: VOV