The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two Indian passengers at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on August 27, 2025, for smuggling 23.935 kg of hydroponic weed valued at Rs 24 crore. The duo, arriving from Bangkok on Air India Express flight IX 105 on August 26, was intercepted based on specific intelligence, marking another blow to international drug trafficking networks targeting Indian airports.

During interrogation, the passengers confessed to concealing the high-potency cannabis in their checked-in luggage. A meticulous search uncovered vacuum-sealed packets containing the greenish, lumpy substance, confirmed as hydroponic weed—a premium cannabis grown in nutrient-rich, soil-less systems for enhanced potency.

The contraband was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and the accused were remanded to judicial custody. “We’re probing their connections to identify the syndicate’s Indian recipients,” a senior DRI official said.

This seizure follows a pattern of rising hydroponic weed smuggling, with 15.46 kg (Rs 15 crore) seized at the same airport in June 2025 and 40.2 kg (Rs 14 crore) at Hyderabad in July. The DRI’s Operation “WeedOut” earlier in August netted 72 kg worth Rs 72 crore across Bengaluru, Bhopal, and Delhi, exposing syndicates recruiting vulnerable youth via social media.

The frequent use of Bangkok as a source highlights Thailand’s role as a hub, with smugglers often routing through Dubai or Singapore to evade detection. Enhanced airport surveillance and intelligence-sharing with agencies like the Narcotics Control Bureau are ongoing to dismantle these networks.

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