Hydroponic Weed Worth Rs5 Crore Seized from Passenger at Coimbatore Airport

Strategic Insights -

On Wednesday night, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers with the customs department seized 5.25kg of hydroponic weed (ganja) worth Rs5 crore from a passenger at the Coimbatore airport. The passenger, Muhammad Fazil, 24, a native of Kerala, was arrested on Thursday for smuggling the contraband into the country from Bangkok, Thailand. This is the latest in a series of hydroponic weed smuggling cases reported from airports in India.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AIU officers, in coordination with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, seized 5.25kg of hydroponic weed worth Rs5 crore from a passenger who arrived at the Coimbatore airport from Bangkok via Singapore.
  • The passenger, Muhammad Fazil, 24, was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the customs act.
  • Hydroponics is a cultivation method that uses water with added nutrients rather than soil, and hydroponic weed is grown indoors in a fully controlled environment.
  • The seized hydroponic weed is valued at Rs5 crore, with similar cases reported involving contraband worth Rs10 crore.
  • The AIU has arrested three passengers in the past 10 days for smuggling hydroponic weed, with the largest seizure being 9.9kg worth Rs9 crore.
  • Hydroponic weed smuggling cases have been reported from airports in Kerala and other states in India.

Statistics:

  • The seized hydroponic weed is worth Rs5 crore.
  • The hydroponic weed seized in the past 10 days totals 14.95kg, with a value of Rs14.95 crore.
  • The three passengers arrested for smuggling hydroponic weed in the past 10 days have been produced at the chief judicial magistrate court.
  • The hydroponic weed is mainly smuggled from Bangkok, Thailand, with most cases reported from airports in India.

Sources:

  • Trichy Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate on X