Ahmedabad, July 1 (IANS) A 40-year-old man from Maharashtra was arrested at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) after Customs officials allegedly recovered 4.276 kg of hydroponic marijuana, estimated to be worth more than Rs four crore in the illicit market, from his checked-in baggage on Wednesday.

The seizure was made by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs after they intercepted the passenger on the basis of profiling when he arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG-343.

According to Customs, a thorough examination of the passenger’s checked-in trolley bag led to the recovery of 22 transparent white polythene-wrapped packets concealed inside food packages.

The recovered substance was tested using a field testing kit and gave a positive result for hydroponic marijuana (ganja). The total weight of the seized contraband was 4.276 kg.

“The contraband has been seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger has been arrested, and further investigation is underway,” officials told IANS.

The arrested passenger is a resident of Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra. “It was his first visit at Ahmedabad airport. The value of the seized hydroponic marijuana at more than Rs four crore in the illegal market,” officials confirmed.

The latest seizure comes days after another major drug bust at the Ahmedabad airport.

On June 28, Customs officers arrested a 20-year-old passenger from Junagadh after recovering 10.911 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth Rs 11 crore from his checked-in baggage following his arrival from Bangkok.

The narcotics were detected after a sniffer dog alerted officers during baggage screening.

Ahmedabad airport has witnessed several similar interceptions involving passengers arriving from Thailand in recent months.

In another case reported in May, the Air Intelligence Unit seized 6.39 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at around Rs 6.39 crore from an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok on an AirAsia flight.

The contraband was concealed in 24 vacuum-sealed packets hidden inside the passenger’s luggage, and the accused was arrested under the NDPS Act.

Customs and other enforcement agencies have stepped up surveillance on international arrivals from Southeast Asia as they continue investigations into suspected drug trafficking networks using air routes to smuggle high-grade hydroponic cannabis into India.

–IANS

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