In a major narcotics interception at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, Customs officers apprehended four male passengers after uncovering an alleged baggage-collection operation involving travellers arriving from Bangkok and Kathmandu.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 27.45 kilograms of a green-coloured substance suspected to be hydroponic weed or ganja.
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The action was carried out on September 9, 2026, on the basis of specific intelligence developed by Airport Customs officers at IGI Airport.
According to Customs, two male passengers travelling from Bangkok to Delhi aboard Air India Flight AI-2333 were identified at the flight gate. At the same time, officials traced the movement of their checked-in baggage through the airport’s FRU system and placed the baggage-belt area under surveillance.
During surveillance, officers noticed that the checked-in baggage belonging to the Bangkok passengers was being collected, or attempted to be collected, by two other male passengers who had arrived in Delhi from Kathmandu aboard Air India Flight AI-216 on the same day.
The passengers arriving from Kathmandu were discreetly followed from Baggage Belt No. 13. Customs officers intercepted them while they were attempting to leave the international arrival area through the Green Channel, which is meant for passengers who do not have dutiable or prohibited goods to declare.
During the preliminary enquiry, the intercepted passengers reportedly disclosed that they had travelled from Kathmandu to Delhi and had been instructed to collect the checked-in baggage belonging to the two passengers arriving from Bangkok.
Following this disclosure, Customs officers also intercepted the two Bangkok-origin passengers while they were attempting to exit through the Green Channel.
The checked-in baggage linked to the Bangkok passengers was then subjected to X-ray examination. Officers noticed suspicious images inside the bags, prompting a detailed physical examination.
The examination led to the recovery of a green-coloured substance that appeared to be hydroponic weed or ganja. The total gross weight of the recovered substance, including its packaging material, was found to be 27,450 grams, equivalent to 27.45 kilograms.
All four passengers have been apprehended for their suspected involvement in the attempted smuggling and collection of the contraband.
The manner in which passengers arriving from a separate international destination were allegedly deployed to collect the baggage indicates a suspected coordinated arrangement designed to distance the original baggage owners from the contraband and evade Customs detection.
Further investigation is underway under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Authorities are expected to examine the passengers’ travel records, communication details, baggage tags and possible links with other individuals involved in the alleged smuggling network.
The precise nature and net weight of the recovered substance will be determined through the prescribed sampling and laboratory-testing process.
