Customs foils hydroponic ganja smuggling attempt at Bengaluru airport
Customs officials at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle 8 kg of high-quality hydroponic ganja, valued at nearly Rs 80 lakh. The narcotic substance was seized from two passengers arriving from Bangkok on separate flights.
Hydroponic ganja is cultivated in water inside labs with added nutrients. This is the second major seizure of this type of ganja within three weeks at KIA. The two middle-aged Indian nationals arrived at Terminal 2 of KIA on December 19 and 20. Based on passenger profiling, officials stopped them for questioning. Their travel history indicated they had been in Bangkok for 20 days, a common tactic used by smugglers posing as tourists.
One passenger had concealed the ganja in a trolley suitcase, while the other hid it inside snack packets in his bags. Although they appeared to be acting independently, officials suspect they are part of a larger smuggling syndicate. It remains unclear whether the drugs were intended for local distribution or to be sent elsewhere.
The passengers have been booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and investigations are ongoing. There has been growing demand for hydroponic ganja, especially among youth, who often consume it at parties. Earlier, on November 30-December 1, officials seized another large haul of the substance, worth Rs 1.25 crore, hidden inside chips packets.
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