Passenger held with methaqualone worth ₹2.61 cr at Pune airport

The passenger, who had travelled on an Air India Express Flight IX-241 from Bangkok, Thailand, was caught on Friday, the official said

The customs department has arrested a passenger for alleged possession of methaqualone, a banned hypnotic sedative, worth ₹2.61 crore at the Pune International Airport, an official said on Friday.

A field test confirmed that it was methaqualone weighing 5.23 kilograms, worth ₹2.61 crore in the illicit market. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The passenger, who had travelled on an Air India Express Flight IX-241 from Bangkok, Thailand, was caught on Friday, the official said.

“We received intel about a passenger in possession of drugs. We intercepted the person and found a crystal-like substance in checked-in baggage. A field test confirmed that it was methaqualone weighing 5.23 kilograms, worth ₹2.61 crore in the illicit market,” said a senior officer from the customs department.

The accused has been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said.