Bhubaneswar: In a major drug haul, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs seized 5.291 kg of hydroponic cannabis, worth around Rs 1.85 crore in the international market, at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Four passengers who arrived from Bangkok have been detained in connection with the seizure.
Based on specific intelligence, officers of the DRI’s Bhubaneswar Regional Unit intercepted the four passengers and conducted searches in coordination with Customs officials.
During the examination of the checked-in baggage of three passengers, suspicious packets concealed in specially designed hidden compartments were detected. After opening the compartments with hand tools, the officials recovered six packets containing 4.877 kg of green-coloured substance.
The baggage of the fourth passenger initially showed no suspicious concealment. However, during a personal search, DRI officials noticed a tin container labelled as dog food. The passenger failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the container, raising suspicion.
The assistance of ‘Rubel’, a detector dog belonging to the Indian Customs K-9 squad deployed at the airport, was also sought. With the help of a Customs K-9 handler, Rubel was first exposed to a suspected narcotics packet recovered from another passenger’s baggage and subsequently asked to examine the dog-food container.
The detector dog gave a positive indication, suggesting that the container carried a substance with a scent similar to the suspected narcotics. Following the indication, DRI officials opened the tin and recovered another 0.414 kg of green-coloured substance concealed inside it.
The seized substances were tested using a narcotic drug detection kit, which confirmed them to be cannabis, also known as marijuana. The total quantity seized from the four passengers stood at 5.291 kg.
The passengers, along with the seized contraband, were handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Bhubaneswar Customs for further legal steps. Further investigation is on.
