Black Polythene Bags Full of Marijuana Worth ₹5.3 Cr Seized At Ahmedabad Airport
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A passenger who arrived in Ahmedabad from Bangkok has been arrested after Customs officials allegedly recovered more than five kilograms of suspected hydroponic marijuana concealed inside his checked baggage at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The seizure was made by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs during a targeted inspection on Thursday. Officials estimate the value of the recovered narcotics at nearly ₹5.3 crore in the illegal market.
Baggage flagged after intelligence-based screening
The accused had landed on Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok on July 9. According to Customs officials, the passenger was intercepted following intelligence inputs and risk-based profiling.
During the examination of his trolley bag, officers allegedly found five packets wrapped in black polythene concealed inside the luggage.
Preliminary tests indicate high-potency cannabis
Customs officials said a field testing kit indicated that the substance was hydroponic marijuana, a premium variety of cannabis cultivated using controlled growing techniques.
The seized contraband weighed 5.368 kg.
Following the recovery, officials registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and placed the passenger under arrest.
Investigators probing international links
The investigation has now shifted to identifying the origin of the consignment, its intended recipients and whether the accused was acting on behalf of a larger cross-border narcotics syndicate.
Officials are also scrutinising the passenger's travel history, communication records and possible associates as part of the ongoing probe.
This comes days after The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs seized 729 grams of smuggled gold worth ₹98.78 lakh from a woman who arrived from Abu Dhabi after she was intercepted at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport based on passenger profiling.
The woman had arrived on IndiGo flight 6E1432 from Abu Dhabi on July 7.
