Hyderabad, Jan 9 (IANS) Customs authorities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here seized hydroponic ganja (cannabis) worth about Rs 14 crore on Friday.

According to officials, the contraband was recovered from two passengers who had arrived from Qatar.

The seized hydroponic Ganja, cultivated without soil, is estimated to be worth around Rs 14 crore in the international market.

On suspicion, Customs officers intercepted two passengers who arrived from Qatar. The passengers’ baggage was sent for detailed scanning and physical inspection.

During scanning, officials recovered packets containing hydroponic ganja hidden inside the luggage. The total quantity of seized contraband was 14 kilograms.

The two passengers were taken into custody and are being questioned to trace the source and intended destination of the drug. The officials were probing their possible links to international drug syndicates.

The latest seizure came just two days after customs officials seized one kilogram of hydroponic ganja from a flight.

A passenger reportedly abandoned the drug on the seat, fearing detection during inspections.

Hydroponic cannabis is a high-grade and expensive narcotic substance. According to officials, there has been a recent rise in attempts to smuggle hydroponic ganja grown abroad into India.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and other agencies have intensified surveillance at international airports.

In July last year, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday recovered 400 kg of hydroponic ganja from the luggage of a woman passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

The value of the seized contraband was estimated to be Rs 40 crore.

Acting on intelligence outputs, NCB officials intercepted the woman passenger and seized 400 kg of the contraband from her two check-in bags.

Investigation revealed that the woman procured the contraband from Bangkok and returned to India via Dubai to avoid suspicion, as there have been several instances where hydroponic ganja has been recovered from passengers reaching various Indian airports directly from Bangkok.

–IANS

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