CHENNAI: Customs officials seized 5 kgs of hydroponic ganja valued at Rs 5 crore, which was allegedly smuggled from Vietnam via Brunei and arrested a passenger from North India.
Following instructions from the Election Commission, as the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force, additional Air Intelligence officers have been deployed to monitor passengers arriving from abroad and those departing from Chennai. On Sunday night, the officials were closely monitoring the passengers who arrived from Vietnam. The officers on suspicion intercepted a 25-year-old passenger who travelled from Delhi to Vietnam as a tourist and returned to Chennai via Brunei. During questioning, the passenger was evasive in his replies, and soon he was taken to the Customs office for detailed inspection.
The officials examined his luggage, and inside his suitcase, they found 10 polythene-wrapped parcels. Upon opening them, officers discovered hydroponic ganja concealed within. In total, 5 kgs of hydroponic ganja were recovered, with an estimated international market value of Rs 5 crore.
The accused was immediately arrested, and the contraband, along with the suitcase, was seized. During preliminary inquiry, the officers found that the youth was acting as a courier for an international drug trafficking network and had brought the consignment to hand it over to contacts in Chennai.
Customs officials are now investigating who is behind this smuggling network, and they also noted that while such high-grade ganja is usually smuggled from countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka and parts of the Middle East, this is the first time a case involving smuggling via Vietnam and Brunei to Chennai has been detected. The seizure has also been reported to the ECI.