Malaysian National Arrested at Chennai Airport with 4 kg Hydroponic Ganja

Customs officials at Chennai International Airport arrested a Malaysian national on Friday night after seizing 4.033 kilograms of suspected high-grade hydroponic ganja concealed inside his checked-in baggage. The passenger was intercepted shortly after arriving on a flight from Bangkok.

The operation was carried out by officers belonging to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Chennai Customs. The officers intercepted the passenger based on passenger profiling as he arrived at the airport terminal.

According to customs authorities, the passenger allegedly attempted to exit the airport terminal through the Green Channel without making any official declaration to the Customs department regarding the contents of his luggage.

The passenger's checked-in baggage was submitted to X-ray screening, during which officials observed suspicious images on the monitor. Based on these findings, the officers selected the baggage for a detailed physical examination.

During the detailed inspection of the luggage, officials uncovered four separate packets concealed inside false bottoms constructed within the baggage. The packets contained a greenish, lumpy substance that emitted a sharp and pungent odour.

The substance found in the four packets was suspected to be high-grade hydroponic ganja, also known as cannabis. Officials weighed the recovered material, determining that the net weight of the seized contraband was 4,033 grams.

Customs officers tested the substance using a narcotic drug detection kit. The test returned a positive result for ganja and marijuana.

Following the confirmation, the contraband was officially seized by the authorities under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The Malaysian national was placed under arrest and subsequently remanded in judicial custody.