Drugs worth ₹13 crore seized at Ahmedabad Airport, two Surat residents held
Synopsis
Ahmedabad Customs has arrested two Surat residents after seizing over 13 kg of hydroponic marijuana — worth ₹13 crore — smuggled in from Bangkok. It is the third such interception at SVPIA in under two months, pointing to an organised Southeast Asia-to-India trafficking corridor that authorities are now racing to dismantle.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Customs seized 13.012 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth approximately ₹13 crore on 1 November 2026 .
The drugs were found in 14 vacuum-sealed packets concealed inside trolley bags of two passengers arriving on Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok .
Both arrested individuals — one male, one female — are residents of Surat district .
The seizure was made under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 ; investigation is ongoing.
This is the third hydroponic marijuana interception at SVPIA since 6 September 2026 , following recoveries of 5.5 kg and 8.9 kg on earlier dates.
Ahmedabad Customs officials arrested a man and a woman from Surat district on Sunday, 1 November 2026, after recovering 13.012 kg of hydroponic marijuana — estimated at approximately ₹13 crore — from their checked-in luggage at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad. The two passengers had arrived aboard Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok.
How the Drugs Were Discovered
Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Ahmedabad Customs flagged the pair through passenger profiling before subjecting their trolley bags to X-ray screening. Suspicious images on the scanner prompted a detailed manual examination, which led to the recovery of 14 vacuum-sealed packets concealed within the baggage.
Preliminary field tests on the contents returned positive results for ganja (cannabis). The total recovered weight was confirmed at 13.012 kg of hydroponic marijuana, a higher-potency variant of the drug that typically commands a significant premium over conventional cannabis in the illicit market.
What Authorities Said
A Customs official confirmed the arrests, stating, 'The two passengers, one male and one female, are both residents of Surat. The estimated value of the seized contraband is approximately ₹13 crore.' The narcotic was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and both individuals were formally arrested. A further investigation is underway.
A Pattern at Ahmedabad Airport
Notably, this seizure is part of a broader and escalating trend of hydroponic marijuana interceptions at SVPIA. On 22 September, Customs officials arrested a Mumbai resident after recovering 8.9 kg of the drug from his checked baggage following arrival from Bangkok. Earlier, on 6 September, officials seized 5.5 kg concealed inside cookie boxes and a cornflakes packet from a passenger who had arrived from Ho Chi Minh City.
The recurring Bangkok-to-Ahmedabad vector suggests a structured smuggling corridor, with traffickers experimenting with varied concealment methods to evade detection — from hollowed luggage compartments to everyday food packaging.
What Happens Next
Both arrested individuals remain in Customs custody as investigators probe the wider supply chain, including potential links to organised drug networks. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether additional suspects are being sought. Given the series of interceptions at SVPIA, security analysts expect the AIU to intensify passenger profiling on high-risk routes, particularly those originating in Southeast Asia.
Point of View
And the varying concealment methods (vacuum-packed bags, cookie boxes, cornflakes packets) suggest multiple independent or loosely networked actors testing airport security. What the seizures do not yet answer is the demand side: who is buying hydroponic marijuana at ₹13 crore a consignment inside India, and whether enforcement is keeping pace with the network's scale or merely picking off individual couriers while the supply chain stays intact.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized at Ahmedabad Airport on 1 November 2026?
Ahmedabad Customs officials seized 13.012 kg of hydroponic marijuana, valued at approximately ₹13 crore, from the checked-in luggage of two passengers who had arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG-343. The drugs were packed in 14 vacuum-sealed packets concealed inside trolley bags.
Who were the two arrested passengers?
The two passengers — one male and one female — are residents of Surat district in Gujarat. Both were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and further investigation is underway.
How did Customs detect the drugs?
Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) flagged the pair through passenger profiling and then subjected their luggage to X-ray screening. Suspicious images on the scanner prompted a detailed physical examination that uncovered the vacuum-sealed packets.
Is this the first such seizure at Ahmedabad Airport?
No. This is the third significant hydroponic marijuana seizure at SVPIA since early September 2026. On 22 September, 8.9 kg was recovered from a Mumbai resident arriving from Bangkok, and on 6 September, 5.5 kg was found concealed in food packaging on a passenger arriving from Ho Chi Minh City.
What is hydroponic marijuana and why is it worth more?
Hydroponic marijuana is cannabis grown indoors using water-based nutrient systems rather than soil, which typically produces a higher-potency product. Its controlled cultivation process drives up both production costs and street value, making it significantly more expensive per kilogram than conventional cannabis.
