Air Customs seizes hydroponic ganja worth Rs 7 crore, arrests one

CHENNAI: In the second such instance in a week, the customs officials at the Chennai International Airport seized high-value hydroponic ganja, estimated to be worth Rs 7 crore and arrested a passenger who allegedly smuggled it from Thailand, on Wednesday.

The customs officials were checking the passengers who landed in Chennai on a flight from Bangkok on Wednesday morning. As they were monitoring the passengers, the officers found a male passenger in his early thirties walking in a suspicious manner. They intercepted the man for search. During questioning, the officers found the Chennai-based passenger evasive in his replies.

Growing suspicious, the officers brought a sniffer dog. The canine that is trained to sniff out contraband checked the passenger and his luggage and barked to alert its handler, which indicated that he was carrying some narcotic substance.

The officers then opened the baggage he was carrying and found hydroponic ganja was hidden inside all three luggage he carried. The officers recovered and seized 6.9 kg of high-purity ganja, which is estimated to be worth Rs 7 crore. The passenger was immediately placed under arrest and the customs officers registered a case. They are now questioning him to find out who sent the passenger to Bangkok to purchase the narcotic.

Last Tuesday, the customs had seized a similar type of ganja worth more than Rs 23 crore from three passengers at Chennai airport. In this case, the contraband was being brought into the city from Thailand.

Late on Tuesday night, the officers intercepted three Indian passengers, including a woman, who went to visit Thailand on tourist visas. A thorough search of their luggage revealed 24 packets of hydroponic ganja, weighing 23.48 kg and valued at Rs 23.5 crore. The drug was seized and all three were arrested.

Initial investigation found that the passengers were sent as couriers and a search is on to nab a man who sent them to Thailand.