Chennai:

Customs officials at Chennai International Airport busted an alleged international drug trafficking operation and arrested two passengers from Kerala with 11 kg of hydroponic cannabis valued at around ₹11 crore.

The seizure was made by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit, who had been monitoring the suspects based on specific intelligence inputs.

The two passengers were intercepted after they landed at the Chennai airport on a Scoot Airlines flight from Bangkok via Singapore.

Officials grew suspicious of the passengers after they verified their travel history, which showed that the two had made a brief trip to Thailand and returned within 24 hours.

During interrogation, the duo reportedly provided conflicting explanations regarding their travel and the contents of their luggage, prompting customs authorities to conduct a detailed inspection.

A thorough examination of their baggage resulted in the recovery of 11 kg of hydroponic ganja that had allegedly been concealed inside food packets.

The contraband was seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act, and the two passengers were taken into custody. Further investigations are under way to determine the source of the drugs and identify others linked to the smuggling network, customs officials said.