Rs.4 Crore Hydroponic Ganja Seized at Ahmedabad Airport, Passenger Arrested

AHMEDABAD : Even before investigators could fully unravel the recently exposed ganja parcel racket at Ahmedabad’s Foreign Post Office, Customs officials have struck another major blow to international drug trafficking by seizing hydroponic cannabis worth nearly **₹4 crore** from a passenger arriving from Bangkok at Ahmedabad International Airport.

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs arrested a **40-year-old man from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra**, after recovering **4.276 kg of high-grade hydroponic cannabis** concealed inside packets of food in his checked-in baggage.

According to Customs officials, the accused landed at **Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport** on **Thai Airways flight TG-343** on July 1. Investigators said the passenger, who was on his **first foreign trip**, came under surveillance after his movements raised suspicion during intelligence-based profiling.

“When the passenger’s checked-in trolley bag was examined, officers found 22 transparent polythene packets hidden inside ordinary food packets. The concealment method indicated a deliberate attempt to evade detection,” a Customs official said.

The recovered substance was immediately tested using the department’s field testing kit, which confirmed it to be **hydroponic cannabis**, a premium and highly potent variety of marijuana cultivated using hydroponic techniques. The seized contraband weighed **4.276 kg** and is estimated to have an illicit international market value of around **₹4 crore**.

“The accused has been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Further investigation is underway to identify the source, intended recipients and possible links to an international drug trafficking syndicate,” the official added.

Investigators are now examining whether the accused was acting as a courier or was part of a larger organised network operating between Thailand and India.

The latest seizure comes close on the heels of the recently uncovered narcotics parcel racket at Ahmedabad’s Foreign Post Office, highlighting the increasing attempts by international traffickers to use Gujarat as a transit point for smuggling high-value narcotics into the country. Authorities said intelligence gathering and surveillance at airports will be further intensified to curb such operations.