Ahmedabad: AIU seizes 6.5kg marijuana from Bangkok flyer

Ahmedabad: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs department seized 6.5kg of marijuana (cannabis) from a passenger arriving from Bangkok at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport on Saturday. The man was arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.

“Based on specific intelligence and passenger profiling, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), SVPI Airport, Ahmedabad intercepted one Indian national who arrived from Bangkok at Ahmedabad during the intervening night of May 16 and 17,” stated a release issued by the department.

“During examination of the passenger’s baggage, officers recovered six vacuum-sealed packets containing a green-coloured dried plant-like substance hidden inside a trolley bag. On testing, the substance was found positive for Marijuana (Cannabis). A total of 6.540 kilograms of the contraband was recovered and seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985,” the release added.

Sources said the arrested person is from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and this was his first foreign trip. They added that the probe is underway to determine whether the man is part of a larger network or was selected as a carrier for the contraband owing to his clean record.

16,600 foreign cigarettes seized from two Abu Dhabi passengers

Ahmedabad: In another operation on Sunday, officials of the customs department seized a large quantity of foreign-origin cigarettes from two passengers.

“A total of 16,600 sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes of brands Manchester and Dunhill were seized from two passengers — one from Malappuram and another from Kozhikode — who arrived at Ahmedabad on May 17 from Abu Dhabi,” said a note from the customs department. The release added that the cigarettes were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.