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NCB hunts for smugglers after weed worth ₹23 crore seized at Mundra port
The consignment, hidden in a container carrying vehicle scrap, was smuggled into India from Ontario, Canada and was supposed to be sent to Punjab, initial investigation has revealed
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is hunting for the smugglers behind the first-of-its-kind consignment of 59 kilograms of hydroponic weed worth over ₹23 crore seized at Mundra Port last month, officials at the agency said on condition of anonymity.
The consignment, hidden in a container carrying vehicle scrap, was smuggled into India from Ontario, Canada and was supposed to be sent to Punjab, initial investigation has revealed.
The central agency unearthed the cache on January 19 based on specific information that a container carrying hydroponic marijuana concealed in the body of a vehicle, shipped as scrap, from Canada was inside one of the warehouses at Mundra Port, Gujarat. After several hours of cutting through the scrap using iron cutting machines, NCB recovered the packets.
A company registered at Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib District, Punjab was registered as the consignee while the consignor is based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, said one of the officers cited above. “We have identified the person who sent it from Canada but we are gathering more details,” he said.
This highly potent strain marijuana is grown through the hydroponic technique, which involves a soilless yet nutrient rich operation that is largely carried out indoors.
A second officer claimed this is the largest haul of hydroponic marijuana in India.
“Earlier, very small quantities have been seized in courier packets or at airports but not this amount. It is an expensive drug meant for high-end clients and rave parties as it sells for approximately ₹4,000 per gram in the market, almost at the rates of high-quality heroin and closer to that of cocaine,” this person added.
A counter-narcotics expert said demand for hydroponic cannabis has increased particularly during the pandemic.
Canada legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes in October 2018, so it is easy for people to grow it there, he said.
Hydroponic weed is in high demand in Canada, the US, and Europe .
Earlier, as first reported by HT, the largest ever consignment of drugs , a 3,000 kg cache of high-quality Afghan heroin worth ₹21,000 crore was seized by the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI) in September last year at Mundra Port, run by the Adani Group.
The company issued a statement at that time that it had no policing authority or role in examining containers coming into the port.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently investigating that case to explore international narco-terrorism. Agencies have learnt that the key man behind the haul, Nabibullah, has already fled to Afghanistan.
