Bengaluru: The unassuming "Crispy Peach" snack packets were the centrepiece of a major drug bust at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) when customs officials opened them to find 12.5kg of high-quality hydroponic ganja worth Rs 1.25 crore.
In a 24-hour operation, three Indian passengers arriving from Bangkok on two IndiGo and one Thai Airways flights were caught with the contraband cleverly concealed in snack packets, labelled "Coconut Crisps" and "Crispy Peach".
Acting on passenger profiling, officials detained the suspects and carried out extensive inspections. "While the three individuals are not linked to each other, the identical modus operandi suggests a common supplier," an airport source said.
The first seizure occurred on the night of Nov 30, when a passenger on an IndiGo flight was found carrying 4kg of ganja ink snack packets. Hours later, another passenger from a different IndiGo flight was caught with 6kg of ganja. The next morning, a third individual arriving on a Thai Airways flight was apprehended with 2.5kg.
The seized ganja, termed hydroponic, is grown in water-based labs with added nutrients, making it a high-quality and expensive product, valued at Rs 10 lakh per kg. Authorities are yet to determine whether the drugs were intended for distribution within Bengaluru or other destinations. "In such cases, accomplices usually wait outside the airport to collect the packages for further distribution," the source added.
The three passengers were booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded to judicial custody for 15 days. Investigations are ongoing to identify the supplier and dismantle the network behind this innovative smuggling attempt.