Ahmedabad airport customs seize hydroponic marijuana worth Rs 11 crore from Bangkok passenger

Customs officers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) here have seized 10.91 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at around Rs 11 crore from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, officials said on June 28.

The seizure was made by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs on Sunday after the passenger, who hails from Mangrol town of Junagadh district, arrived on Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok.

During examination of the checked-in baggage, a customs sniffer dog gave a positive indication of the presence of narcotic drugs.

Based on the baggage tag, officers identified and intercepted the male passenger. A detailed search of the passenger's checked-in trolley bag led to the recovery of five silver-coloured polythene packets containing green-coloured plant material concealed inside the baggage.

The substance tested positive for hydroponic marijuana (ganja) using a field testing kit.

"The total net weight of the seized contraband was 10,911 grams. The seized hydroponic marijuana is estimated to be worth approximately Rs 11 crore in the international market," a customs official told IANS.

The contraband has been seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and the passenger has been arrested.

Further investigation is underway to establish the source, intended recipients, and any links to wider trafficking networks.

The latest interception adds to a string of hydroponic marijuana seizures involving passengers arriving from Bangkok at Ahmedabad airport.

Last month, Customs arrested a passenger after seizing more than 20 kg of marijuana concealed in checked baggage on another Bangkok flight.

In another case, Ahmedabad Customs also recovered around 6.5 kg of hydroponic marijuana from a Bangkok passenger travelling on the same Thai Airways route, while another operation led to the seizure of about four kg of the drug from baggage linked to a separate traveller.

The trend is not confined to Ahmedabad. Last week, Mumbai Customs arrested two passengers arriving from Bangkok after recovering more than 19 kg of hydroponic weed from their baggage, highlighting continued attempts to smuggle high-potency cannabis into India through international airports.

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