Hyderabad Customs seize 9.10 kg ganja worth ₹3.18 crore at RGIA; two passengers arrested
HYDERABAD: Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport seized 9.10 kg of ganja valued at ₹3.18 crore and arrested two passengers who arrived from Vietnam on March 8, 2026. The passengers landed in Hyderabad from Hanoi via Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia flight AK069. Acting on specific intelligence, officers of Hyderabad Customs intercepted them during checks at the airport. Officials recovered the contraband concealed in their baggage. Both passengers were arrested and the narcotics were seized under provisions of the law.
Foreign-based drug syndicates are increasingly targeting Hyderabad as a transit point for smuggling narcotics into India. Passengers arriving from Southeast Asian countries are often recruited as couriers to transport substances such as ganja and synthetic drugs.
Officials said these operations are typically planned from abroad. Local contacts are then used to receive and distribute the drugs after arrival in the city.
Surveillance tightened at Hyderabad airport
Following recent seizures, customs authorities have stepped up surveillance and intelligence-driven checks at the airport to curb trafficking attempts. Officials said monitoring of passengers arriving from high-risk routes has been intensified to prevent the city from becoming a major entry point for international drug networks.
