The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs department at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad seized 6.5 kilograms of marijuana (cannabis) from a passenger arriving from Bangkok on Saturday. The individual was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Details of the Seizure
According to a release issued by the customs department, the operation was based on specific intelligence and passenger profiling. Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit intercepted an Indian national who arrived from Bangkok at Ahmedabad during the intervening night of May 16 and 17.
During the examination of the passenger’s baggage, officials recovered six vacuum-sealed packets containing a green-colored dried plant-like substance hidden inside a trolley bag. Upon testing, the substance was confirmed to be marijuana (cannabis). A total of 6.540 kilograms of the contraband was recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985.
Suspect Background and Investigation
Sources revealed that the arrested individual is a resident of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and this was his first foreign trip. The investigation is ongoing to determine whether the man is part of a larger drug trafficking network or was used as a carrier due to his clean record.
Separate Seizure of Foreign Cigarettes
In another operation on Sunday, customs officials seized a large quantity of foreign-origin cigarettes from two passengers. A total of 16,600 sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes of brands Manchester and Dunhill were confiscated from two individuals—one from Malappuram and another from Kozhikode—who arrived at Ahmedabad on May 17 from Abu Dhabi. The cigarettes were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, according to a note from the customs department.
