30 ‘Dehydrated Guava’ packets lead Customs to 973 gm of marijuana at Ahmedabad Airport

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Customs on Tuesday seized 973.23 grams of hydroponic marijuana from a passenger arriving from Bangkok and arrested him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Ahmedabad Customs, made the seizure after intercepting the passenger based on APIS profiling.

The passenger, a resident of Surat, had arrived at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) on September 29 aboard Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok.

During examination of a paper carry bag kept in his cabin baggage, Customs officers recovered a green-coloured substance concealed inside two plastic packets.

The packets contained a total of 30 small printed packets labelled as containing ‘Dehydrated Guava’, according to the Customs seizure details.

A preliminary test conducted using an NDPS field-testing kit indicated that the recovered substance was ganja (marijuana). The total weight of the seized contraband was 973.23 grams.

Customs subsequently seized the substance under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, and arrested the passenger. Customs said further investigation is in progress.

The seizure comes amid several recent recoveries of hydroponic marijuana at Ahmedabad airport, particularly from passengers arriving from Southeast Asia.

On September 21, Customs officials arrested a Mumbai resident after allegedly recovering 8.913 kg of hydroponic marijuana from his baggage following his arrival from Bangkok on flight TG-343.

The substance was concealed in 14 airtight plastic packets. Earlier on September 2, a husband-wife duo arriving from Bangkok on the same flight were arrested after Customs officials recovered 1.928 kg of hydroponic marijuana concealed in specially created compartments in their trolley bags.

The contraband was packed in 10 vacuum-sealed packets, five in each bag, according to reports citing Customs officials.

In another case in July, a passenger arriving from Bangkok was arrested with 4.2 kg of hydroponic marijuana allegedly concealed in 22 packets placed inside food packages.

The passenger was intercepted following passenger profiling, with the substance testing positive during a field test.

In the latest case, Customs officials are continuing their investigation into the source and intended destination of the seized substance, as well as the circumstances surrounding its transportation.

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