KOCHI: The customs on Monday intercepted a passenger and seized hybrid ganja amounting to over Rs 3.5 crore at the Kochi airport. The arrested is Malappuram native Usman, who arrived from Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight.
During the customs check, the officials got suspicious about food packets and chocolates concealed in Usman’s baggage. On further search, it was found that these packets contained hybrid ganja. About 12kg of the drug was recovered from the baggage.
Smuggling of hybrid ganja is becoming rampant as this is the second case detected at the Kochi airport in the last two weeks. Hybrid ganja is cultivated in AC enclosures with artificial lights in Thailand. As these ganja are highly potent, they fetch high prices in the market. Apart from selling these ganja in Kerala, they are also smuggled to other countries including in Gulf region illegally.
Considering the increase in hybrid ganja seizure incidents, the customs have enhanced checks at the airport. Services of sniffer dogs are also being used to detect smuggled drugs. The arrested person was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.