A major attempt to smuggle commercial narcotics into Gujarat was foiled at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs Department intercepted two passengers carrying a sizeable shipment of high-grade hydroponic cannabis. The seized contraband weighed 13.012 kilograms in total, with an estimated street value of around 13 crore rupees in illicit international trade. Both travelers, a man and a woman, were taken into custody immediately following the recovery.
Passengers Arrived on Thai Airways Flight
According to Customs officials, the arrested individuals have been identified as 31-year-old Mohammad Aqeel Sheikh and 29-year-old Kaneez Zahera Momin, both residents of Surat. The duo landed at Ahmedabad airport from Bangkok aboard Thai Airways flight TG-343. During standard surveillance and routine passenger profiling, Air Intelligence Unit personnel noticed suspicious conduct from the pair, prompting officers to pull them aside for questioning and secondary inspection.
X-Ray Scanning Exposed 14 Concealed Packets
Customs officers routed the passengers' trolley bags through the airport X-ray scanning machinery, where scans revealed unusual shapes inside the luggage. A physical search of the bags followed, uncovering 14 polythene-wrapped packages stashed away inside the trolley bags. Testing confirmed that the packets contained hydroponic cannabis weighing exactly 13.012 kilograms across the two bags.
Case Filed Under NDPS Act as Network Inquiry Begins
Following the recovery, Customs formally placed both travelers under arrest under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, or NDPS, Act. Investigators suspect that the smuggling operation is part of an organized syndicate operating across borders. Interrogations are ongoing to trace the overseas handler who arranged the narcotics in Bangkok, as well as the local receivers who were scheduled to take delivery of the stash in Gujarat.
Understanding Hydroponic Cultivation of Cannabis
Hydroponic cannabis is a potent and high-grade variety cultivated without soil, relying instead on nutrient-rich water solutions maintained in specialized, temperature-controlled indoor setups. Because of this specialized cultivation method and significantly higher psychoactive potency, it trades at an exorbitant premium in underground markets when compared to conventionally grown marijuana.
