KOCHI: Commissionerate of Customs Preventive Kochi has arrested a person after 1.04 kgs of hybrid ganja worth Rs 1.04 crores was recovered from a parcel that arrived at the International Post Office in Kochi.
According to Customs officials, this was the largest quantity drug seizure reported at International Post Office in recent years.
The arrested person is Savio Joseph of Kakkanad. According to Customs officials, following a tip-off, they visited the Postal Appraising Section of the International Post Office and seized a parcel that arrived from Thailand on February 18. The parcel contained cornflakes and chocolates.
After a detailed search, 1.04 kgs of hybrid ganja were found concealed inside packets of cornflakes.
To apprehend the person who ordered the ganja from Thailand a team was formed by Headquarters Preventive Unit, Customs Preventive Commissionerate in co-ordination with Customs Postal Section and India Post Department.
A dummy parcel was sent to the concerned person through a regular delivery procedure.
On discrete enquiry, it was found that the recipient had given a fake address to receive the contraband items and hence surveillance was kept by the officers in specific locations mentioned by the receiver.
"On February 20, while the postman was delivering the parcel to the address mentioned by the receiver, Customs officials located the residence of the receiver and as a follow-up search of his house, the officers further found approximately 30 grams of hydroponic weeds, 50 grams of ganja and incriminating evidence in his mobile phone regarding the various distribution chains and possible supply networks," an officer said.
In his voluntary statement, Savio had accepted the offence committed by him. He was produced before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court and remanded in judicial custody.
Customs are probing the involvement of other persons in the case.