Hydroponic weed worth Rs 34 crore seized at Delhi airport; 2 flyers from Bangkok held

Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi have seized suspected hydroponic weed ganja valued around Rs 34.93 crore from two passengers arriving from Bangkok, officials said on Friday. On examination of the baggage, thirty-one vacuum-sealed packets containing suspected hydroponic weed ganja were recovered, the statement said.

Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi have seized suspected hydroponic weed (ganja) valued around Rs 34.93 crore from two passengers arriving from Bangkok, officials said on Friday. An official said both passengers were arrested under the NDPS Act, and the contraband and the packaging material were also seized. After profiling passengers, customs officers intercepted them after they crossed the green channel at the airport, the official said. He said suspicious images were noticed during X-ray screening of the baggage. ''On examination of the baggage, thirty-one vacuum-sealed packets containing suspected hydroponic weed (ganja) were recovered,'' the statement said. ''The recovered substance weighed 34,935 grams (including packing material). The market value is approximately Rs 34.935 crore,'' it said. Hydroponic weed refers to cannabis cultivated without soil using water-based nutrient solutions and inert growing mediums such as coco coir or rockwool. According to the statement, the recovered substance ''prima facie appeared to be ganja/marijuana''.