Bengaluru: This Sunday alone, customs officials at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) seized 27.6 kg of hydroponic ganja from two passengers arriving from Bangkok, the Thai capital. Both had allegedly concealed the contraband to evade customs checks.A closer look at the seizure data reveals a sharp rise in smuggling attempts. In just the first six months of the current financial year (2026-27), Bengaluru Customs seized nearly 1,000 kg of hydroponic ganja at KIA — almost matching the 1,005 kg seized during the entire previous financial year (2025-26).According to data accessed by TOI, customs seized 976.8 kg of hydroponic ganja between April and September 2026, compared with 1,005 kg in the whole of 2025-26. The seizures made over the past 18 months alone are estimated to be worth Rs 1,042.8 crore, underscoring the scale of the smuggling problem.Unlike plants of the dry variant, hydroponic ganja plants are grown without soil, where the roots are suspended directly in a nutrient-rich water solution. Rather than drawing nutrients from dirt, the plants receive a precisely controlled mix of water, oxygen, and essential minerals (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) delivered straight to their root systems.Officials pointed out that there were multiple reasons leading to the smuggling rise: “It’s a combination of both: smuggling is increasing, and the detection has also become vigilant. We try to intercept whatever we can but there are more cases in general,” a customs official stated.Interestingly, the smuggling racket targeting Bengaluru is primarily based in Bangkok in Thailand while a minority operates from other Southeast Asian countries. “90% of the ganja comes from Bangkok but almost 100% I can say can be traced back to the Thai capital. Other minor seizures happen from flights coming from Kuala Lumpur, Phuket and Vietnam. Smugglers rarely come from Gulf countries as well, but that too is transit,” he added.In the current financial year, the data reveals that the number of cases witnessed a significant dip in June, recording just eight cases, while the highest was in April, when 30 cases were reported. Till Sept, 129 smugglers were arrested by the customs in 108 cases booked and the seizures are estimated to be valued at around Rs 342.9 crore.However, in 2025/26, April recorded the lowest number of cases at just two while Oct topped the charts, reporting 16 smuggling cases. In total, the entire year recorded 141 cases in which 165 smugglers were arrested.Officials anticipate that by the end of the financial year, seizures will be significantly higher than those of the previous period. Once seized and the primary evidence is generated, the ganja will be burnt through incineration. During this process, hydroponic ganja and other organic and hazardous substances are burnt at high temperatures.Last Saturday, the customs disposed of 750 kg of seized weed and 1.7 kg of cocaine captured recently. “The inventory is made available before the judicial magistrate; meanwhile, the investigation goes on and during the legal time frame we have to file complaints simultaneously. But once the primary evidence is generated, the goods can be disposed off, disposal is always by the destruction,” an official explained.Disposal of hydroponic ganja is monitored by the Drug Disposal Committee, depending on the quantity. “If the quantity is significantly higher, a high-level drug disposal committee is involved,” he added.
