3 smuggle hydroponic weed worth Rs 22 crore, held

In a major drug bust, Customs officials at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (SGRDJI), here, apprehended three passengers for attempting to smuggle hydroponic weed (ganja) weighing 22.312 kilograms, valued at approximately Rs 22 crore in the illicit market last evening.

The arrested individuals, two women, hailing from Haldia, West Bengal, and Boisar/Palghar, Maharashtra, and one man from Amritsar, all Indian passport holders. They had arrived at the Amritsar airport from Krabi International Airport, Thailand, via Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia Airlines flight No. AK94.

Customs officers, acting on profiling and suspicion, intercepted the accused upon arrival. A thorough examination of their baggage, coupled with personal searches, led to the recovery of the suspected narcotic substance. The contraband was subsequently seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The three accused were placed under arrest under Section 43 of the NDPS Act. The authorities confirmed that further investigation was underway to unravel the larger network behind this smuggling attempt.