A 38-year-old man is in police custody after a raid on an Arorangi residence yielded a quantity of cannabis seedlings.

It is the second cannabis cultivation bust on the island in a week after a 31-year-old man, also from Arorangi, was arrested and charged on Friday last week.

Police have confirmed the two matters are not related.

Police executed a search warrant late Thursday afternoon and placed the man under arrest just after 5pm.

Police spokesman Trevor Pitt said he would likely face a charge of cultivating cannabis.

Pitt said he could not reveal further details about the matter.

However, it looked like the haul was for personal use rather than supply, he said.

“Cannabis is an illicit drug in the Cook Islands.

“You can be arrested by the police if found in possession of cannabis utensils, seeds, extracts and plants.

“You can be taken to prison to await a court appearance. You can be prosecuted and you will carry a drug conviction if found guilty of an offence.”

A 31-year-old man was arrested in Arorangi on Friday last week for cultivating cannabis.

Joseph Wachter, aged 31, appeared in the Criminal Court on Thursday charged with cultivating cannabis and possession of a utensil.

More than 30 cannabis plants were seized by police on Friday last week.

Wachter was consequently arrested, placed in custody, and appeared in the Criminal Court on Saturday.

Police opposed bail in court on Tuesday on the grounds they were in the early stages of an investigation.

On Thursday Justice of the Peace Georgina Keenan-Williams granted him bail on the condition he report to police on Fridays between 5 and 6pm before imposing a curfew between 7pm and 7am on him, with the exception of work commitments.

He was told not to interfere with witnesses and ordered to reside at his normal place of residence.

The matter was then adjourned to December 9.