Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday seized a large consignment of high-grade marijuana worth Rs 8 crore from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and detained a person in this connection.
According to sources, acting on an intel, the DRI officials intercepted a passenger arriving on a flight from Bangkok. A thorough search of the luggage revealed packets of the contraband concealed in aluminium foil wrappers to evade detection. The detained individual, identified as a young non-resident o
f Odisha travelling with a female companion, is currently undergoing intensive questioning with the authorities probing potential links to broader syndicates.
The youth is said to have travelled to Bangkok about four-five times in the past.
With this, nine consignments of Thailand-made hydroponic ganja have been seized at the city airport since January last year.
The seizure also came four days after a passenger from Gujarat was detained at the airport after he arrived here on an international flight from Bangkok and around 4 kg of the contraband was found concealed inside his luggage.
Earlier, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate confiscated approximately 50 kg of hydroponic weed, valued at more than Rs 30 crore, at BPIA airport and detained three individuals from Uttar Pradesh. In October last year, customs officials also seized about 3.2 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth over Rs 3.2 crore and detained a person from Kerala.