Chennai Customs Seize 4,639 Grams of Hydroponic Ganja at Airport, Arrest Passenger

Chennai customs officials arrested a passenger and seized 4,639 grams of hydroponic ganja at the Chennai airport on Sunday. The passenger, who had arrived in the city on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, was intercepted by the authorities based on passenger profiling.

According to a press release issued by the customs department, the interception led to a detailed inspection of the traveller's baggage. During the initial X-ray screening and the subsequent physical examination of the passenger’s check-in baggage, customs officials discovered a total of 49 packets hidden inside.

Upon opening the packets, officials found a greenish, lumpy substance that emitted a sharp and pungent odour. The officials suspected the substance to be high-grade hydroponic ganja.

To verify the nature of the contraband, the officials weighed the substance and subjected it to testing. The total weight of the seized material was recorded at 4,639 grams. When tested using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit, the substance returned a positive result for ganja.

Following the positive test, customs officials seized the entire quantity of the hydroponic ganja under the provisions of Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The passenger was subsequently placed under arrest by the customs authorities in connection with the incident. Following the arrest, the individual was remanded to judicial custody. Customs officials have stated that further investigation is currently on.