Surat Customs seizes 14 kg hydroponic marijuana worth ₹14 crore from Bangkok passenger

The DRI is probing whether these earlier journeys were also linked to narcotics trafficking. Immigration records, financial transactions and communication data are being examined to identify his handlers abroad as well as possible local collaborators.

Surveillance and forensic checks

The DRI is likely to send the seized marijuana samples for forensic testing to confirm purity levels and cultivation method. Officials are also analysing CCTV footage from Surat airport to determine whether any accomplices were waiting outside to receive the consignment.

Meanwhile, the identity of the accused has been kept under wraps as investigators attempt to trace the wider supply chain. A senior DRI officer said, “We are working on both ends – to establish the Bangkok connection and to identify the two persons in Surat who were supposed to collect the narcotics.”

Background

This seizure comes at a time when Gujarat’s airports, including Ahmedabad and Surat, have seen a spate of narcotics smuggling attempts from Southeast Asia. Officials say hydroponic marijuana, though banned under the NDPS Act, is gaining popularity due to its high potency and is often concealed in checked baggage by carriers working on commission for international syndicates.

The accused passenger is expected to be produced before a special NDPS court in Surat once the DRI completes its initial round of interrogation.