Surat: In one of the largest seizures of hydroponic cannabis in Gujarat, the authorities have confiscated 17.65 kg of hydroponic weed, valued at ₹6.18 crore, from Surat International Airport.

Acting on a tip-off, DCB teams, along with the CISF, DRI and Customs officials at the airport, intercepted passengers arriving on Air India Express flight IX-263 from Bangkok at around 7.40 pm on Monday. During a search of their luggage, police recovered 16 packets of hydroponic weed weighing 17.658 kg, concealed in secret compartments inside trolley bags. The contraband, valued at ₹6.18 crore as assessed by the FSL and estimated at around ₹17.5 crore in the illicit market, had been wrapped in multiple layers and special materials to evade detection.

Two passengers, Mohammad Iqbal Ahmed Khan (51) and Rasiya Abdul Kapoor (53), were arrested at the airport. Police later detained Tamim Ansari (42), who had arrived to receive the consignment.

Police said all three accused are natives of Tamil Nadu and have previous cases registered against them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Khan is a resident of Chennai, Kapoor hails from Vellore, and Ansari is from Kanchipuram.

According to investigators, Ansari had ordered the consignment from wanted accused Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Ibrahim, both Chennai natives who have been residing in Thailand and Malaysia for several years. Police believe the accused are part of a larger Tamil Nadu-based smuggling network involved in trafficking hydroponic cannabis from Southeast Asia. DeshGujarat