Customs officials have arrested an Indian passenger for allegedly smuggling 12.2 kg of suspected ganja (marijuana), valued at approximately Rs 4.49 crore, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, according to a statement issued by Delhi Customs on Wednesday, November 11.

Source: BizzBuzz News (Delhi Customs statement)

The passenger had arrived from Bangkok via Hanoi on November 3 and was intercepted by Customs officers at Terminal 3 on the basis of profiling, the statement said. The seizure was also recorded in the Economic Times live news blog on Wednesday, which reported the same Customs account of the interception.

Source: The Economic Times (live blog)

The passenger was diverted at the Green Channel for X-ray screening, followed by a personal search and a search of his baggage. Officers recovered 20 polythene pouches containing a green-coloured substance suspected to be ganja, concealed inside a grey trolley bag, according to the statement.

Delhi Customs said the net weight of the recovered substance was 12.285 kg, with an estimated value of Rs 4.49 crore. A diagnostic test prima facie indicated that the substance was ganja, following which the contraband, along with its packaging, was seized.

The passenger has been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the statement said. The passenger has not been named in the official statement, and the allegations are yet to be tested in court.