Two held at Bengaluru airport with ganja worth ₹9.67 crore

CH NEWS BENGALURU Customs officials have seized 27.6 kg of hydroponic ganja worth ₹9.67 crore from two passengers arriving from Bangkok in separate cases at Kempegowda International Airport. Both passengers have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said on Monday. In the first case, Bengaluru Customs intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, and seized 15.5 kg of hydroponic ganja valued at ₹5.43 crore, according to information shared by the department on X. In a separate case, officials recovered 12.1 kg of hydroponic ganja worth ₹4.24 crore from another passenger. The contraband was concealed in the passenger’s baggage, officials said. The combined seizure amounted to 27.6 kg, with an estimated market value of ₹9.67 crore. The two cases were registered separately, and both passengers were arrested under the NDPS Act. Further details about the identities of the accused and the circumstances surrounding the alleged smuggling were not immediately available. Hydroponic ganja is cannabis cultivated using a method that grows plants in a nutrient-rich water-based system rather than conventional soil. Customs authorities have been intercepting suspected narcotics consignments brought into the country through international airports. The latest seizures highlight the use of passenger baggage to transport suspected narcotics across international routes. The investigation is expected to establish the source of the contraband and whether the passengers were linked to a wider smuggling network.