The customs were checking the passengers who arrived from Thailand on Wednesday night. The officers intercepted a 25-year-old male passenger from Kerala, who had visited Thailand on a tourist visa, and had returned on the same flight the following day.

During questioning, the passenger gave evasive replies, and he was detained for further inquiry. The officers examined his baggage thoroughly and found 15 polythene-wrapped parcels. Upon inspection, the packages were found to contain high-grade hydroponic ganja. The total weight of the seized narcotic was 5.9 kilograms, with an estimated international market value of Rs 6 crore. Customs officials arrested the accused and seized the contraband.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused is a graduate from Kerala who had turned to drug smuggling due to unemployment. Officials said he was a first-time offender and had acted as a courier in the operation. He had planned to hand over the ganja parcels to a person waiting outside the airport before returning to Kerala.

However, when it became clear that the smuggler was caught, the receiver, who was believed to be part of a larger drug trafficking network, reportedly fled from the airport premises and is currently absconding.