Takahiro Akiyama is alleged to have raised 64 seedlings in his residence and transplanted them in a grove owned by East Japan Railway in the Mizuho area. The plants have a street value of several hundreds of millions of yen.
On June 25, police searched Akiyama’s residence and discovered 1.4 kilograms of dried marijuana in a closet that he began cultivating in February.
Akiyama, who has been charged with possession and cultivation of marijuana, has reportedly admitted to the allegations. “I did it for my own use,” the suspect is quoted. However, officers from the Fussa Police Station suspect that Akiyama intended to sell the contraband.
In May, police received an anonymous tip about the operation. The suspect was later viewed entering the area on multiple occasions to provide fertilizer to his crops.
Akiyama said that a previous attempt to grow plants in the riverbed of the Tama River had failed.
