Latest news with #NarcoticDrugs&PsychotropicSubstances
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Chennai customs bust hydroponic ganja racket
Chennai: The arrest of two mules in recent weeks has seen the Chennai airport customs bust a reinvented modus operandi of drug smugglers using Sri Lanka as a transit point to bring in high-potent ganja varieties into the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Tuesday, the air intelligence unit (AIU) team, based on intelligence, intercepted a man who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, via Colombo. When his checked-in baggage was examined, the AIU team found some suspicious looking food packets emitting a strong odour. Six such transparent packets containing green flowering and fruiting tops, weighing 2.8kg, were seized. Testing of the samples using the field drug testing kit confirmed that it was marijuana. It was seized under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Interrogation revealed that the flyer was promised 1.2 lakh if he delivered the contraband in Bengaluru. He had planned to reach Bengaluru by road if not caught at Chennai airport. While he was remanded in judicial custody on Thursday, customs sleuths said the six kg hydroponic ganja seized on May 16 was also smuggled from Thailand via Colombo. The contraband was hidden within 13 sealed packets disguised as 'Ritz toasted chips and multigrain tortilla chips'. Officials suspect that the smugglers might have used Sri Lanka as a transit point to reach Chennai to avoid suspicion since suspected flyers arriving from Bangkok undergo rigorous checking by customs at Chennai airport. "Smugglers bringing drugs via Sri Lanka is not new, but now they have changed the modus operandi since vigilance is tight at Chennai airport," said sources. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Customs sleuths also said that in both incidents, the final destination of the drug was Bengaluru, not Chennai, and they are investigating if the same gang is behind both incidents. Meanwhile, customs sleuths arrested an Indian male passenger who arrived from Thailand on Thursday in possession of 2.4 kg hydroponic weed wrapped in silver foils. The passenger was arrested and remanded in judicial custody. Chennai customs also made another seizure of 1 kg hydroponic ganja that was couriered from Thailand on June 3. Customs officers at the Postal Appraising Department (PAD) checked a package after suspicious results from X-ray scanning and discovered two packets of hydroponic weed, weighing a total of 1.022kg.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Chennai customs busted drug smuggling route, Sri Lanka as transit point for high-potency ganja; 2 held
CHENNAI: Customs sleuths at Chennai airport have uncovered a new modus operandi used by drug smugglers, using Sri Lanka as a transit point to bring high-potency ganja into India from Thailand. Two couriers have been arrested in recent weeks as part of the ongoing crackdown. In the latest case, a male passenger who flew in from Bangkok via Colombo was intercepted by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on Tuesday. Upon checking his baggage, officials found six transparent food packets emitting a strong odour. These packets contained green flowering and fruiting tops of marijuana weighing 2.8 kg. Field drug tests confirmed the contents as marijuana. The substance was seized under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. During questioning, the passenger admitted he was promised Rs 1.2 lakh to deliver the contraband in Bengaluru, planning to travel there by road. He has been remanded in judicial custody. Customs officials linked the incident to an earlier seizure on 16 May, in which six kilograms of hydroponic ganja were smuggled from Thailand via Colombo. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No Distractions. Just Solitaire Play Solitaire Download Undo The contraband had been packed inside 13 sealed snack packets labelled as 'Ritz toasted chips' and 'multigrain tortilla chips'. Authorities believe smugglers are using Sri Lanka to bypass strict checks usually applied to flyers arriving directly from Bangkok at Chennai airport. In 2024 so far, around 45 kg of hydroponic ganja smuggled from Thailand has been seized at the airport. Investigations indicate that the final delivery point in both recent cases was Bengaluru, not Chennai. Officials are examining whether the same network is involved in both operations. In a separate case, the Chennai Customs Postal Appraising Department (PAD) intercepted a parcel earlier this month. After suspicious results from X-ray scanning, 1.022 kg of hydroponic ganja was found hidden in two packets. This consignment was also seized under the NDPS Act, and investigations are ongoing to identify the recipient. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
