Two Bangkok fliers held with 6 kg of marijuana worth ₹6 cr at Ahmedabad airport

The Customs Department at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Monday arrested two Indian nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle over 6.2 kilograms of marijuana concealed in their baggage on a flight from Bangkok. The market value of the drug is estimated to be around ₹6.2 crore.

As per officials, both cases were detected by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Ahmedabad, based on specific intelligence inputs. The passengers, who had arrived on Thai Airways flight TG 343 from Bangkok to Ahmedabad on November 3, were intercepted shortly after landing.

During a detailed examination of their baggage, officers found multiple packets of a green substance concealed in false compartments. In the first case, the passenger was found carrying four packets weighing 4.18 kilograms, while in the second, two packets weighing around 2.04 kilograms were recovered.

Preliminary tests conducted by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed the substance to be marijuana, a psychotropic and narcotic drug listed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

“Both passengers were found carrying marijuana concealed inside their luggage in a sophisticated manner to evade detection. The total seizure amounts to 6.2 kilograms. The contraband has been seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act, and both individuals have been arrested,” said an officer

Officials added that the arrests form part of a broader crackdown on international drug trafficking networks using air routes to smuggle narcotics into India from Southeast Asia. The identities of the accused are being withheld pending further investigation.

The case has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and the AIU Ahmedabad is conducting further inquiries to trace the source and intended recipients of the contraband.