Chennai Customs seizes 4 kg hydroponic ganja from Bangkok flyer
Chennai Customs arrested a Malaysian passenger after seizing 4,033 grams of hydroponic ganja from his bags. The case has triggered a wider probe and a warning over smuggling rackets targeting young travellers.
Chennai Customs has intercepted a Malaysian national for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 4 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja through Chennai International Airport on August 7.
The passenger, who had arrived from Bangkok, was stopped after customs officials profiled him and found that he was attempting to pass through the Green Channel without making the required declarations. The narcotics were seized, and the man was later arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
According to an official release issued by Joint Commissioner of Customs KM Guru Rajesh on Saturday night, the passenger was intercepted by the air intelligence unit. An X-ray scan of his checked-in luggage showed suspicious images inside the bags, after which officers carried out a detailed physical examination.
During the search, officials found four packets containing a greenish, lumpy substance with a sharp odour. The release said the contraband had been hidden inside specially made false bottoms in the checked-in bags.
The substance was tested with a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit and was confirmed to be hydroponic ganja, or cannabis, with a total net weight of 4,033 grams. Customs officials seized the narcotics under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The passenger was formally arrested and sent to judicial custody. A detailed investigation is under way to trace the wider network behind the smuggling attempt.
After the seizure, Guru Rajesh issued an advisory asking the public, especially young people, to be careful about offers of sponsored foreign travel and easy money in exchange for carrying unknown baggage on return journeys. He said recent cases show that smuggling networks often target young people by paying for their travel, stay and other expenses, and then use them to bring contraband into India. He added that involvement in such activity can ruin lives, as these are serious offences that invite strict punishment and long-term legal consequences.
The case involves the seizure of 4,033 grams of hydroponic ganja from a Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok, with customs now investigating the larger network and warning people against becoming part of such operations.
Chennai Customs has intercepted a Malaysian national for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 4 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja through Chennai International Airport on August 7.
The passenger, who had arrived from Bangkok, was stopped after customs officials profiled him and found that he was attempting to pass through the Green Channel without making the required declarations. The narcotics were seized, and the man was later arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
According to an official release issued by Joint Commissioner of Customs KM Guru Rajesh on Saturday night, the passenger was intercepted by the air intelligence unit. An X-ray scan of his checked-in luggage showed suspicious images inside the bags, after which officers carried out a detailed physical examination.
During the search, officials found four packets containing a greenish, lumpy substance with a sharp odour. The release said the contraband had been hidden inside specially made false bottoms in the checked-in bags.
The substance was tested with a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit and was confirmed to be hydroponic ganja, or cannabis, with a total net weight of 4,033 grams. Customs officials seized the narcotics under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The passenger was formally arrested and sent to judicial custody. A detailed investigation is under way to trace the wider network behind the smuggling attempt.
After the seizure, Guru Rajesh issued an advisory asking the public, especially young people, to be careful about offers of sponsored foreign travel and easy money in exchange for carrying unknown baggage on return journeys. He said recent cases show that smuggling networks often target young people by paying for their travel, stay and other expenses, and then use them to bring contraband into India. He added that involvement in such activity can ruin lives, as these are serious offences that invite strict punishment and long-term legal consequences.
The case involves the seizure of 4,033 grams of hydroponic ganja from a Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok, with customs now investigating the larger network and warning people against becoming part of such operations.
Chennai Customs has intercepted a Malaysian national for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 4 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja through Chennai International Airport on August 7.
The passenger, who had arrived from Bangkok, was stopped after customs officials profiled him and found that he was attempting to pass through the Green Channel without making the required declarations. The narcotics were seized, and the man was later arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
According to an official release issued by Joint Commissioner of Customs KM Guru Rajesh on Saturday night, the passenger was intercepted by the air intelligence unit. An X-ray scan of his checked-in luggage showed suspicious images inside the bags, after which officers carried out a detailed physical examination.
During the search, officials found four packets containing a greenish, lumpy substance with a sharp odour. The release said the contraband had been hidden inside specially made false bottoms in the checked-in bags.
The substance was tested with a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit and was confirmed to be hydroponic ganja, or cannabis, with a total net weight of 4,033 grams. Customs officials seized the narcotics under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The passenger was formally arrested and sent to judicial custody. A detailed investigation is under way to trace the wider network behind the smuggling attempt.
After the seizure, Guru Rajesh issued an advisory asking the public, especially young people, to be careful about offers of sponsored foreign travel and easy money in exchange for carrying unknown baggage on return journeys. He said recent cases show that smuggling networks often target young people by paying for their travel, stay and other expenses, and then use them to bring contraband into India. He added that involvement in such activity can ruin lives, as these are serious offences that invite strict punishment and long-term legal consequences.
The case involves the seizure of 4,033 grams of hydroponic ganja from a Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok, with customs now investigating the larger network and warning people against becoming part of such operations.
