Surat: In yet another case highlighting the use of international flights for narcotics smuggling, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs department seized 1.97kg of hydroponic cannabis — which the authorities valued at Rs 1.97 crore — at Surat International Airport (SIA) on Saturday.Officials said the contraband was recovered during a search of Air India Express Flight IX-263, which arrived from Bangkok on March 20. The drugs had been concealed in seven vacuum-packed polythene packets wrapped in brown tape and hidden in the backrests of seats 28A, 28B, 28E and 28F.After the recovery, customs officials intercepted two arriving passengers. During questioning, they allegedly admitted their involvement and revealed the name of another passenger who was to transport the contraband onward, on a domestic flight from Surat to Delhi.Sources said the smugglers used the tactic of concealing the drugs in aircraft seats on arrival, and allowing another passenger to retrieve the consignment during the aircraft’s onward journey.Officials identified the third passenger scheduled to depart for Delhi, linking all three accused to the operation. The recovered contraband was examined by the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory and tested positive for cannabis. The total weight of the seized contraband was 1,972.2g.All three accused have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They were produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.The latest seizure underscores continued vigilance at Surat airport, even as traffickers attempt to exploit international and domestic flight routes.In recent weeks, several such cases have been reported. On Feb 9, customs recovered 3.7kg of hydroponic cannabis worth Rs 3.75 crore from a Bangkok-Surat flight, with packets concealed near the lifejackets under the seats. A day earlier, four persons were arrested with contraband worth Rs 6 crore in a similar case.On Feb 18, officials seized 6.4kg of cannabis worth Rs 6.4 crore from two passengers arriving from Bangkok after recovering 30 vacuum-packed packets from their luggage.Investigations are ongoing to trace the larger network behind these smuggling attempts, including the source of the drugs and their intended recipients.
