Ahmedabad: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs intercepted a couple arriving from Bangkok at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) on Sunday and seized 13kg of hydroponic marijuana (ganja) from their baggage.“During x-ray screening of the passengers’ check-in baggage, suspicious images were detected. On detailed examination, 14 vacuum-sealed packets were recovered from the trolley bags of the two passengers. Preliminary testing of the substance returned a positive result for marijuana. The total weight of the recovered hydroponic marijuana was 13.012 kg,” the release stated.The passengers were arrested, and the contraband seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.A senior official said preliminary investigations revealed that the duo is from Surat. The identities of the sender and intended recipient are yet to be established. “This is the latest in a series of cases where passengers with no known criminal background have been used as carriers for narcotics smuggled from foreign countries,” the official said.In a recent case, Customs officials had detected narcotics concealed inside the hollow tubes of a trolley bag in an attempt to evade scrutiny.
