Hydroponic ganja worth Rs 9.5 crore seized at Chennai airport; two flyers, receiver arrested

CHENNAI: The Customs officials at the Chennai airport seized hydroponic ganja worth 9.5 crores in two cases, and arrested two passengers and a receiver on Thursday.

The Customs received a tip-off that ganja is being smuggled into the country from Thailand on a flight that was landing in the city around midnight. The officers who were monitoring the passengers grew suspicious about a passenger from a northern State and intercepted him.

When checking his travel documents, the officials found that he had visited Thailand on a tourist visa. During questioning, the man was evasive in his replies, following which his baggage was taken for examination.

When they opened his bag, the officials found he was carrying many packets of chocolates and frozen food items. However, when they opened the packets, they found that all of them contained hydroponic ganja. The officers seized 7.5 kg of ganja worth 7.5 crore.

Meanwhile, a team of officials who were monitoring the passengers who arrived from Thailand on another flight intercepted a male passenger on suspicion of smuggling ganja. During the search, the officers found he was carrying 2 kg of hydroponic ganja worth Rs 2 crore in his baggage.

During questioning, the arrested passengers claimed that they were sent as carriers by a smuggling group and added that they were instructed to hand over the ganja to a person who was waiting outside the airport.

The officials then searched the receiver and nabbed the man, who was waiting in the airport premises. The Customs have registered a case and are investigating to catch the others who are linked to this smuggling racket.