Ahmedabad Airport Customs seizes 1.93 kg hydroponic marijuana, arrests couple from Bangkok
Synopsis
In back-to-back operations at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Customs officials have seized over 8 kg of hydroponic marijuana and arrested three people in just 48 hours — with identical concealment methods pointing to a possible common trafficking network linking Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City to India.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Customs seized 1.928 kg of hydroponic marijuana from a Vadodara couple arriving from Bangkok on 2 September .
The contraband was hidden in 10 vacuum-packed packets inside fake cavities in two trolley bags.
Both passengers, aged 50 , were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985 .
A day earlier, 6,073.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana were seized from a Myanmar-origin national arriving from Ho Chi Minh City on 31 August .
The two operations together account for 8,001.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana and three arrests within 48 hours at SVPIA .
Ahmedabad Customs officials on Wednesday, 2 September seized 1.928 kg of hydroponic marijuana allegedly hidden inside specially constructed cavities in trolley bags, arresting a husband and wife who had arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG-343. The bust at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) marks the second such interception within two days, underscoring a sharp rise in drug-smuggling attempts through the airport.
How the Couple Was Intercepted
Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs flagged the two passengers — both 50-year-old residents of Vadodara — through passenger profiling and X-ray scanning. A detailed physical examination of their baggage revealed concealed layers engineered inside the trolley bags.
On breaching the fake compartments, officials recovered 10 vacuum-packed transparent polythene packets — five from each bag — containing a green-coloured substance. Preliminary testing confirmed the presence of ganja (hydroponic marijuana), with the combined weight recorded at 1,928 grams, according to Ahmedabad Customs.
Seizure and Arrest Under NDPS Act
The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and both passengers were placed under arrest. Further investigation is currently underway, officials said.
Notably, the modus operandi — vacuum-packed packets concealed in fake trolley-bag layers — mirrors the method used in the previous seizure, suggesting a potentially coordinated smuggling pattern or a shared supply network.
The First Seizure: 6 kg From a Myanmar National
The latest arrest follows a larger bust on 31 August, when Ahmedabad Customs intercepted a Myanmar-origin foreign national arriving from Ho Chi Minh City on flight VJ-1805. That operation — triggered by passenger profiling, X-ray scanning, and a signal from a sniffer dog — yielded 6,073.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana, also concealed in five vacuum-packed packets inside a fake cavity in a trolley bag. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act.
Combined Impact: Two Days, Three Arrests, Over 8 kg Seized
Taken together, the two operations have resulted in three arrests and the seizure of a combined 8,001.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana within a 48-hour window at SVPIA. This comes amid growing concern among enforcement agencies about Southeast Asia-origin drug consignments entering India through air routes, with Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City emerging as recurring points of origin in recent interceptions.
The repeated use of identical concealment techniques — engineered bag cavities, vacuum-sealed packets — raises questions about whether these cases are linked to a broader trafficking operation, a line of inquiry that investigators are reportedly pursuing.
Point of View
Vacuum-sealed packets, Southeast Asian origin points — is not coincidence; it is a pattern. Ahmedabad's emergence as a preferred drug-entry node for hydroponic marijuana warrants a structural response, not just case-by-case arrests. The real question investigators must answer is whether these are isolated mules or nodes in a larger organised network. Until that link is established or ruled out, the headline numbers — impressive as they are — tell only half the story.
NationPress
2 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized at Ahmedabad Airport on 2 September 2025?
Ahmedabad Customs seized 1.928 kg of hydroponic marijuana concealed inside fake cavities in two trolley bags carried by a husband and wife who arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG-343. Both passengers, residents of Vadodara aged 50, were arrested under the NDPS Act.
What was the first drug seizure at Ahmedabad Airport in this series?
On 31 August, Customs officials intercepted a Myanmar-origin foreign national arriving from Ho Chi Minh City on flight VJ-1805 and seized 6,073.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana hidden in a trolley bag. A sniffer dog, X-ray scanning, and passenger profiling led to the interception.
How much hydroponic marijuana has been seized in total at Ahmedabad Airport in these two operations?
The two operations combined yielded 8,001.7 grams of hydroponic marijuana and resulted in three arrests within a 48-hour period at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Under which law were the arrested passengers charged?
All three arrested individuals were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which governs drug-related offences in India. Further investigation is underway in both cases.
Why is hydroponic marijuana considered a significant seizure?
Hydroponic marijuana is cultivated indoors under controlled conditions and is generally more potent than conventionally grown cannabis, making it a higher-value contraband. Its repeated appearance in air-route smuggling cases signals growing demand and organised trafficking networks.
