Two Bangkok fliers held at Surat airport with 6.4 kg marijuana worth ₹6.4 crore

Custom officers at Surat International Airport arrested two male passengers and seized 6.4 kg of suspected marijuana after intercepting them on arrival from Bangkok late on Wednesday.

According to officials, the interception was carried out on the basis of passenger profiling. The duo had arrived from Bangkok by an Air India Express flight (IX-263) on February 18.

During examination of their checked-in baggage, officers recovered 30 vacuum-sealed transparent polythene packets containing a green leafy substance. The total gross weight of the recovered material was 6,408.90 grams (approximately 6.40 kg).

Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance to be cannabis (marijuana), worth ₹6.4 crore of market value, officials said.

The contraband has been seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Both passengers were placed under arrest, and further investigation is under way to ascertain the source and intended destination of the consignment.

Customs officials said efforts are on to determine whether the seizure is linked to a larger narcotics trafficking network.