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₹5.38 crore-worth hydroponic weed, concealed in geysers, seized at Delhi airport
According to Delhi Customs' statement, the two passengers from Kuala Lumpur were intercepted after they crossed the Green Channel at the airport.
Delhi Customs officials blocked an alleged attempt to smuggle a drug, suspected to be hydroponic weed, worth around ₹5.38 crore into the country at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The substance was concealed inside two brand-new geysers carried by passengers arriving from Malaysia.
The seizure was done by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at the Delhi airport on June 7, according to a statement from the Customs. Officials said two passengers arriving from Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia X Flight D7-182 were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Also read: Hydroponic weed worth ₹3.57 crore seized from Bangkok passenger at Bengaluru Airport
How officials detected the drugs
According to Delhi Customs' statement, the two passengers were intercepted after they crossed the Green Channel at the airport.
Customs officials said the operation was based on passenger profiling and specific intelligence inputs. During surveillance, officers found that the passengers were carrying two new geysers other than their checked in luggage. The unusual luggage created doubts.
Officials then took the suspects for interrogation and examined their mobile phones. This strengthened the doubts regarding the contents inside the appliances.
The strong suspicion after the interrogation led to a more focused X-ray examination of the geysers. The X-ray found the possible presence of concealed material hidden inside the geysers.
145 vacuum-sealed packets recovered
Following the X-ray findings, customs officers dismantled both geysers and discovered the substance.
A total of 145 vacuum-sealed packets were found inside the appliances.
The packets contained a green leafy substance suspected to be hydroponic weed, also referred to as hydroponic ganja. The total gross weight of the substance was found to be 15.38 kilograms.
Officials estimated the market value of the seized contraband at approximately ₹5.38 crore.
What is hydroponic weed?
Hydroponic weed is considered a high-potency variety of cannabis cultivated using nutrient-rich water solutions instead of soil. Because of its potency and higher market value compared with conventional cannabis, it has increasingly been caught in narcotics seizures involving passengers arriving at Indian airports.
However, authorities have described the seized substance as "suspected hydroponic weed," as forensic examination is generally required to establish the exact nature of the substance.
Also read: Hydroponic weed worth ₹13 Cr seized at Lko airport
Two passengers arrested; probe underway
The recovered substance has been seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, and Delhi Customs confirmed that both passengers have been arrested.
Further investigation is underway to find the source and the destination. The seizure highlights the increasingly sophisticated methods being used by smugglers.
