Customs officers at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport arrested three passengers in separate smuggling cases after seizing 6.37 kg of suspected aquatic weed hidden inside aircraft toilets, under passenger seats and in baggage, officials said on Monday.
Hydroponic weed is a highly effective variety of cannabis grown in nutrient-rich water rather than soil.
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Separate official statements said that the three seizures, which included passengers arriving from Bangkok and Phuket, resulted in the recovery of 6.37 kg of suspected smuggled goods.
In the first case, an Indian passenger who arrived from Bangkok on Monday was intercepted on the basis of Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) after crossing the Green Channel, a statement said.
She added that although nothing suspicious was found in the passenger’s luggage, customs officers searched the plane and found four sealed packages of suspected aquatic weed weighing 3.47 kg, hidden inside the rear toilets.
The statement added, “Upon interrogation, the passenger admitted to hiding the packages inside the toilets.”
In another case, a passenger who arrived from Phuket on Monday was intercepted on the basis of APIS files. When no prohibited items were found in the passenger’s luggage, customs officers searched the plane and found six sealed packages containing suspected aquatic weed weighing 1.5 kg under the seats in row 12, a statement said.
She added that the passenger later confessed to hiding the devices inside the plane.
In the third case, an Indian passenger who arrived from Bangkok on Sunday was intercepted after crossing the Green Channel on the basis of APIS files.
During the X-ray examination, officers noticed suspicious images of the passenger’s luggage. A statement said that the search operation led to the seizure of two tightly sealed containers containing approximately 1.4 kg of suspected aquatic weed.
The three passengers were arrested under Section 43(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while the suspected contraband was seized under Section 43(a) of the Act.
Customs described the substance seized in the three cases as “green-colored NDPS suspected to be ganja/marijuana.”
