Ahmedabad, June 30 (IANS) Customs officers at the Foreign Post Office (FPO) in Ahmedabad have seized a parcel originating from Thailand after discovering 467.5 grams of suspected ganja concealed inside and declared as “wooden blocks”, officials said on Tuesday.

The seizure was made during the routine examination of imported parcels at the FPO.

According to Customs, officers intercepted a suspicious carton arriving from Thailand that had been declared as “wooden blocks”.

On opening the package, they found two polythene packets containing a substance suspected to be ganja (cannabis). The total gross weight of the suspected contraband, including the polythene packaging, was 467.5 grams.

Customs officials said the suspected narcotic substance was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Further investigation under the Act is in progress to establish the intended recipient of the parcel and identify any links to a wider trafficking network.

The interception is the latest in a series of narcotics seizures in Gujarat involving cannabis allegedly trafficked from Thailand.

On Sunday, Customs officers at Ahmedabad airport arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok after recovering 10.911 kg of suspected hydroponic marijuana concealed in checked baggage.

Officials estimated the value of the contraband at Rs 11 crore and said the case was being investigated under the NDPS Act.

Earlier, in May, Customs intercepted another passenger arriving from Bangkok and seized approximately 6.54 kg of suspected hybrid marijuana concealed in luggage.

In another case in January, Customs officers at the airport seized 7.7 kg of hydroponic cannabis, valued at about Rs 8 crore, from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, with the contraband found vacuum-packed inside his checked baggage.

Investigators said the seizure highlighted continuing attempts by international drug traffickers to use Gujarat as an entry point for cannabis smuggled from overseas.

–IANS

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