₹5.5-Crore Drugs Hidden in Cookies And Corn Flakes Boxes Seized at Ahmedabad Airport
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A routine flight landing in Gujarat turned into a major narcotics bust when customs officials discovered a ₹5.5-crore drug consignment disguised as ordinary supermarket snacks. Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport intercepted a Mumbai resident carrying over five kilograms of suspected hydroponic weed inside his hand baggage on his way back from Vietnam.
The operation highlights how international syndicates continue testing regional transit hubs in India to bypass strict customs checks in major metros.
How the Seizure Unfolded at Ahmedabad Airport
Customs personnel targeted the passenger shortly after VietJet Air flight VJ-1805 landed in Ahmedabad from Ho Chi Minh City. Acting on behavioral profiling and initial screening indicators, AIU personnel pulled the traveler aside before he could exit the international arrivals terminal.
An X-ray scan of his carry-on luggage flagged unusual density patterns inside everyday food packaging. When officers opened the bags, they discovered 24 individual aluminum foil packets stuffed tightly inside three cookie boxes and a large bag of corn flakes.
Field test kits immediately confirmed the green plant material as high-potency marijuana, weighing exactly 5,519.7 grams.
Why Syndicates Use Hydroponic Weed to Target Indian Buyers
Hydroponic marijuana—grown indoors without soil using nutrient-rich water solutions—commands exorbitant prices in India's metropolitan nightlife circuits compared to locally cultivated cannabis. Because of its elevated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, street values regularly touch ₹10,000 per gram.
Smugglers increasingly rely on direct flights from South East Asian hubs like Thailand and Vietnam, relying on deceptive packaging to slip past airport security checkpoints.
What Comes Next for the Investigation
Customs authorities arrested the Mumbai resident under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, withholding his identity while operational teams track down his local handlers.
Investigators are scrutinising the suspect's call logs, bank accounts, and recent flight history to determine whether he functioned as a solo courier or operated on behalf of an established international cartel. Security teams at Ahmedabad airport have also stepped up passenger profiling on incoming flights from South East Asia following the incident.
