New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) India has witnessed a sharp rise in hybrid cannabis smuggling, with seizures of 373 kg recorded in just the first five months of 2025 – a 24 per cent jump from 302 kg in all of 2024.

According to a written response by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, reveals a widening network using air routes, international couriers, and even the dark web to smuggle high-potency hydroponic ganja, with Kerala making its first appearance as a trafficking hotspot.

According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Karnataka tops the chart with 158 kg seized, a massive spike from 56 kg last year.

Gujarat follows with 85 kg this year, up from 22.3 kg in 2024, and Maharashtra with 46 kg, down from 72.3 kg the previous year. Other states with notable 2025 seizures include Tamil Nadu (54 kg), Odisha (11 kg), and Telangana (11 kg). While Kerala had zero seizures in 2023 and 2024, this year it reported 3 kg in two separate cases, accompanied by five arrests – signalling its emergence as a new node in the hybrid cannabis supply chain.

The seizures in Kerala were traced to parcels booked from Thailand, further confirming the growing role of international courier networks.

Overall, 77 arrests have been made in 2025 across 56 cases involving hybrid cannabis, compared to 51 arrests in 101 cases last year. The government has flagged the issue with Thai authorities, particularly the use of human couriers on flights and parcel smuggling, during a bilateral meeting in Bangkok (May 27-29, 2025).

To strengthen enforcement, the Centre has activated a four-tier Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD), directed all states to form Anti-Narcotics Task Forces, and launched the MANAS helpline (1933) for citizen reporting.

The data underscores a troubling trend: drug syndicates are evolving rapidly, and India’s response is now pivoting to tech-enabled and internationally coordinated countermeasures.

–IANS

sas/dan