At the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out a major operation that led to the arrest of an Indian woman passenger arriving from Dubai. The authorities seized a total of 12 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis, commonly known as weed, with an estimated international market value of nearly Rs 12 crore.
The narcotics were discovered in two separate pieces of luggage, one of which was received later after the woman’s arrival, indicating a planned attempt to smuggle the drugs into the country through multiple consignments. This seizure highlights the increasing trend of traffickers using international routes and sophisticated methods to transport high-value contraband.
The incident unfolded when the woman passenger was intercepted at the airport by DRI officers. Her belongings were subjected to detailed screening, during which one of her bags revealed several packets filled with a green, lumpy substance. On testing, the contents were confirmed to be hydroponic cannabis, and this single bag contained nearly 6 kilograms of the narcotic substance. During the questioning that followed, the passenger admitted that another one of her checked-in bags had not arrived with her flight.
When the delayed luggage finally reached Hyderabad on September 20, authorities once again inspected it and uncovered an additional 6 kilograms of the same high-grade cannabis. With both seizures combined, the total recovery amounted to 12 kilograms. The woman was immediately arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, and officials have stated that further investigation is ongoing to determine the larger network behind the smuggling attempt.
In a separate but equally significant case, law enforcement agencies in Amritsar successfully dismantled a cross-border narcotics syndicate that was facilitating the smuggling of drugs into Punjab. The police recovered more than 5 kilograms of heroin and arrested one operative associated with the network. According to Punjab Police senior official Gaurav Yadav, the smuggling ring was being managed by a handler based in the United States, who maintained direct links with traffickers operating from Pakistan.
What makes this case particularly alarming is the use of drones to push consignments of heroin and weapons across the international border, a method that poses new challenges for security forces. This operation exposed the growing reliance of international drug cartels on modern technology to bypass conventional security measures, further emphasizing the seriousness of the cross-border narcotics problem in the region.
