NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, AUG 9
A suspicious image on an airport X-ray screen has blown the lid off an alleged international drug-smuggling attempt at Chennai airport, with Customs officials recovering more than four kilograms of suspected high-grade hydroponic ganja ingeniously hidden in the false bottoms of a passenger’s checked-in baggage.
Based on passenger profiling, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Chennai Customs intercepted a Malaysian national who had arrived at Chennai International Airport from Bangkok on the night of August 7, 2026.
- AIU officers intercept Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok after X-ray flags suspicious baggage
- Four packets weighing 4,033 grams recovered; contraband tests positive for Ganja/Marijuana
- Passenger arrested under NDPS Act and remanded to judicial custody; Customs issues warning to youth
The passenger allegedly attempted to leave through the Green Channel without making any declaration to Customs. However, X-ray screening of the checked-in baggage revealed suspicious images, prompting Customs officials to subject the luggage to detailed examination.
The search led to the recovery of four packets containing a greenish, lumpy substance with a sharp and pungent odour, suspected to be high-grade hydroponic ganja (Cannabis).
The packets had allegedly been concealed inside specially created false bottoms of the checked-in baggage, indicating an attempt to evade detection.
4,033 grams of contraband recovered
The recovered substance weighed 4,033 grams net and tested positive for Ganja/Marijuana using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit.
The contraband was seized under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The Malaysian passenger has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, while further investigation is under way to establish the source of the contraband, its intended destination and the wider network, if any, behind the alleged smuggling attempt.
Customs sounds alarm over ‘easy money’ travel traps
Chennai Customs has issued a strong warning to the public, particularly young people, against accepting offers of sponsored foreign travel or easy money in return for carrying unknown baggage while returning to India.
According to Customs, analysis of recent cases indicates that smuggling syndicates frequently target young individuals, financing their travel, accommodation and other expenses and subsequently using them to transport and deliver contraband into India.
Customs cautioned that what may appear to be an attractive offer of free travel or quick money can instead become a gateway to serious criminal liability.
Involvement in such activities can ruin lives, as these are serious offences under the law that invite strict punishment and long-term legal consequences, Customs said.
The latest seizure once again highlights the importance of passenger profiling, baggage X-ray screening and vigilant Customs enforcement in preventing international drug consignments from entering the country.
