The Ahmedabad Customs Department has seized 5.368 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at over ₹5 crore from a passenger who landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) on 9 July, marking the third such narcotics interception on the Bangkok-Ahmedabad route in under two weeks. The passenger arrived on Thai Airways flight TG-343 from Bangkok and was detained following targeted passenger profiling by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU).

How the seizure unfolded

AIU officers intercepted the male passenger after he disembarked from the Bangkok flight. A detailed examination of his checked-in trolley bag led to the recovery of five black polythene-wrapped packets containing a suspected narcotic substance. A field test kit confirmed a positive result for hydroponic marijuana (ganja), with a total gross weight of 5.368 kg.

The passenger is a resident of Ratangarh town in Rajasthan's Churu district, according to officials. He has been formally arrested, and the contraband has been seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Investigators are working to trace the source of the consignment and determine whether a wider trafficking network is involved.

A pattern on the Bangkok-Ahmedabad route

This seizure is the third in a rapid succession of interceptions at SVPIA involving passengers arriving from Thailand. On 28 June, Customs officers — alerted by a sniffer dog during baggage screening — recovered 10.91 kg of hydroponic marijuana from a passenger's checked baggage, with the contraband estimated at approximately ₹11 crore in the illicit market. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act.

Just days later, on 1 July, AIU officers arrested another Bangkok-arrival passenger after finding 4.276 kg of hydroponic marijuana concealed inside food packets in checked baggage. That interception was also based on passenger profiling.

Authorities intensify surveillance

The repeated seizures have brought the Bangkok-Ahmedabad corridor under sharper scrutiny. Customs authorities have stated they are intensifying surveillance and systematic profiling of international passengers to curb attempts to smuggle high-potency hydroponic cannabis into India. Notably, all three cases involved concealment in checked baggage — a method that relies on evading X-ray and physical inspection at the origin airport.

What happens next

Further investigation is underway to establish the supply chain and identify any associates or handlers linked to the arrested passenger. The focus, according to officials, is on determining whether these incidents are isolated attempts or part of an organised trafficking network exploiting the Thailand-Gujarat air corridor. Customs has not ruled out coordination with other enforcement agencies.