Chennai: Customs foils attempt to smuggle 10.75 kg hydroponic ganja, two arrested

Customs department officials on Saturday said they foiled an attempt to smuggle hydroponic ganja from Thailand at the airport here and arrested two passengers in connection with the case. Acting on specific intelligence, officials intercepted two Indian nationals who arrived here from Bangkok on January 28. On examination of their checked-in baggage, about 10.75 kg of hydroponic ganja was recovered, they said. The contraband was concealed in vacuum-sealed packets hidden inside chocolate pouches kept in one of the bags, according to a press release. Preliminary testing using a Narcotics Field Drug Testing kit confirmed the substance to be ganja, a drug prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, it added. During interrogation, the two passengers confessed that they were lured by another individual who promised them payment to smuggle the drug from Bangkok to Chennai. Both were arrested, and further investigation is underway, it said. The value of the seized ganja has not been disclosed by the authorities. The Customs department appealed to the public to remain vigilant against offers of easy money, stating that recent cases indicate smuggling syndicates often target young individuals by funding their travel, accommodation and other expenses and using them to transport contraband into India. Involvement in such activities is a serious offence under the law and attracts strict punishment and long-term legal consequences, the release added.