Customs Arrest Three Passengers at Delhi Airport After Seizing 6.37 kg Hydroponic Weed
Customs officers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi have arrested three passengers and seized 6.37 kg of suspected hydroponic weed across three separate smuggling attempts. The operations, which took place on Sunday and Monday, involved passengers arriving from Bangkok and Phuket who attempted to smuggle the high-potency cannabis by hiding it inside aircraft lavatories, beneath passenger seats, and within personal baggage.
Hydroponic weed is a high-potency variety of cannabis that is grown in nutrient-rich water rather than traditional soil. The total recovery from the three separate operations amounted to 6.37 kg of the suspected contraband, according to official statements.
In the first incident, which occurred on Monday, an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok was intercepted by Customs officials. The interception was carried out on the basis of profiling from the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) after the passenger had crossed the Green Channel. While an initial search of the passenger's baggage did not reveal anything suspicious, Customs officers proceeded to rummage through the aircraft. During the search, officers discovered four sealed packets of suspected hydroponic weed weighing 3.47 kg concealed inside both of the rear lavatories. Upon questioning, the passenger admitted to concealing the packets inside the toilets.
In the second case, also on Monday, another passenger arriving from Phuket was intercepted based on APIS profiling. Similar to the first case, no contraband was initially found inside the passenger's baggage. However, Customs officers searched the aircraft and discovered six sealed packets containing 1.5 kg of suspected hydroponic weed hidden beneath the passenger seats in Row 12. The passenger later admitted to hiding the packets inside the aircraft.
The third seizure took place on Sunday and involved an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok. This passenger was also intercepted on the basis of APIS profiling after crossing the Green Channel. During the routine X-ray screening of the passenger's baggage, officers noticed suspicious images. A detailed search of the luggage led to the seizure of two vacuum-sealed packets containing approximately 1.4 kg of suspected hydroponic weed.
Following the discoveries, all three passengers were arrested by the authorities under Section 43(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The suspected hydroponic weed was officially seized under Section 43(a) of the NDPS Act.
