DRI seizes hydroponic weed worth ₹5 cr

The contraband, weighing 5.35 kg, was allegedly hidden inside packets meant to carry fruits, said agency sources

MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized hydroponic weed worth ₹5 crore in illicit markets from an Indian air passenger who arrived in the city from Bangkok on Monday. The contraband, weighing 5.35 kg, was allegedly hidden inside packets meant to carry fruits, said agency sources.

DRI seizes hydroponic weed worth ₹5 cr

Hydroponic weed refers to cannabis that is grown without the use of soil and seriously impairs the health of users. Procured mostly from overseas suppliers, it is sold at the rate of around ₹1 crore per kg in illicit markets, while the usual ganja (cannabis) is sold at the rate of ₹1 lakh per 5 kg.

Acting on a tip-off, the Mumbai unit of DRI on Monday identified the passenger and searched his bags, which yielded nine vacuum-packed silver-coloured packets, each bearing the name of a different fruit. A greenish substance was recovered from each of the packets, which was tested with a field NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) test kit and found to be marijuana, said sources. The contraband was seized and the passenger was arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.

In a separate operation last September, the DRI’s Nagpur unit had seized 211 Kgs of ganja valued at over ₹42 lakh. DRI officers had intercepted a tractor-trolley at the Mauda toll plaza near Nagpur and found that it was carrying the contraband in around 100 separate packets stashed inside a specially-built cavity. Two persons traveling on the vehicle were apprehended and subsequently arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act.