15 Kg Hydroponic Ganja Worth Rs 5.26 Crore Seized at Chennai Airport

Customs officials at the Chennai International Airport have seized 15.02 kg of hydroponically cultivated ganja, valued at around Rs 5.26 crore in the illicit market, from a passenger who arrived from Bangkok, officials said on Sunday.

Acting on passenger profiling, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Chennai Customs, intercepted a male passenger, identified as K M Guru Rajesh, who had arrived from Bangkok on October 2, Joint Commissioner of Customs Guru Rajesh said in a statement.

The passenger allegedly attempted to leave the airport through the Green Channel without making any declaration to Customs.

During a detailed examination of his checked-in baggage, officials recovered 26 transparent, airtight packets containing dried greenish-brown flowering and fruiting tops of a plant suspected to be high-grade hydroponically cultivated cannabis.

The packets had allegedly been concealed inside Thai food packets in an attempt to evade detection. The recovered substance weighed 15.02 kg and tested positive for ganja or marijuana using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit (NDDK), Customs said.

The contraband was subsequently seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The passenger was arrested under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act and remanded to judicial custody, officials said, adding that further investigation is underway.

The seizure comes amid continued efforts by Customs authorities to detect the smuggling of narcotic substances through international airports. Chennai Customs also issued an advisory to the public, particularly the youth, urging them to remain vigilant against offers of sponsored foreign travel and easy money in exchange for carrying unknown baggage during their return journey.

Authorities cautioned travellers against accepting luggage or packages from unfamiliar persons, as they could unknowingly become involved in the transportation of prohibited or illegal substances.

The Customs department said passengers should exercise caution and ensure that they are aware of the contents of baggage they carry while travelling internationally.