Two held with Rs 24 crore worth of hydroponic weed at Lucknow airport

Two passengers have been arrested for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth around Rs 24 crore at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, an official said on Friday.

He said the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), based on specific intelligence, intercepted the passengers who had arrived from Bangkok on Air India Express flight IX 105 on August 26.

“During interrogation, both the passengers admitted to carrying a large quantity of hydroponic weed (ganja) in their checked-in baggage,” a senior DRI official said.

A thorough search of their baggage led to the recovery of 23.935 kilograms of hydroponic weed, which was seized under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the official said.

The passengers were arrested on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody, he added.

Hydroponic weed refers to cannabis cultivated using a soil-less, water-based growing system enriched with nutrients. This method allows for greater control over growth conditions, resulting in higher potency and quality compared to conventionally grown cannabis.