PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian was detained at Chennai International Airport in India after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 4kg of hydroponic cannabis into the country.
Chennai customs said the passenger arrived from Bangkok on Aug 7 and tried to leave without declaring any goods, Harian Metro reported.
The passenger was stopped by officers from the Air Intelligence Unit based on profiling.
An X-ray scan of the checked baggage showed suspicious images, prompting further inspection.
“Further inspection found four packages containing greenish, lumpy material with a strong and pungent odour, suspected to be high-grade hydroponic cannabis.
“The packages were concealed in a specially constructed compartment at the bottom of the checked baggage,” Chennai customs was quoted as saying in a statement published by India’s Press Information Bureau yesterday.
The substance, weighing 4,033g, tested positive for cannabis using a drug detection kit.
The drugs were seized under Section 43(a) of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985.
Hydroponic cannabis is grown without soil using nutrient-rich water, typically indoors under controlled lighting, temperature, and humidity.
