DRI seizes 39.24 kg hydroponic cannabis from Bangkok fliers at Ahmedabad airport

In a significant blow to international drug trafficking networks, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in a coordinated operation with Ahmedabad Customs, seized 39.24 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The high-grade contraband, estimated to be worth ₹39 crore, was intercepted from three Indian nationals arriving from Bangkok.

The bust, which took place on Thursday, marks the third major drug seizure at the airport within just two weeks. Acting on precise intelligence, DRI officials tracked the movements of the suspects upon their arrival and conducted a meticulous examination of their six trolley bags. Concealed within layers of clothing and hidden in branded snack packets, including Kellogg’s cereal and Cheezels, officers uncovered 60 packets containing a suspicious green, lumpy substance.

Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed that the material was hydroponic cannabis—a potent variety cultivated in nutrient-rich water under controlled conditions, rather than soil. This method not only accelerates growth but also significantly increases the concentration of THC, the psychoactive component responsible for cannabis’s intoxicating effects. Due to its enhanced potency, hydroponic cannabis is known to be more addictive and hazardous, particularly among young users.

This latest interception follows two earlier seizures—37.2 kilograms on April 29 and 17.5 kilograms on April 20—both involving Indian nationals arriving from Bangkok. With Thursday's operation, the cumulative volume of drugs seized at Ahmedabad airport over the last fortnight has reached a staggering 94.94 kilograms.

In a related incident earlier in April, customs department officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai arrested three men and two women who were allegedly attempting to smuggle hydroponic cannabis from Bangkok. All five individuals are residents of Mumbai and were travelling on different flights.

The drugs have been confiscated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. All three accused have been taken into custody, and investigations are underway to identify and dismantle the broader network involved in this trafficking route.