Officials seized 11 kilograms of high-grade hydroponic weed valued at nearly Rs 4 crore during a joint operation at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) intercepted two passengers from Tamil Nadu who had smuggled the contraband from Bangkok.
The accused arrived on IndiGo flight 6E-1066 from Bangkok at 5:30 am on Tuesday. Officers discovered the narcotics concealed inside luggage bags. Hydroponic cannabis, a premium and potent variety, carries an estimated black-market value of Rs 40 lakh per kilogram.
Investigators detained the two youths and began questioning them to trace the source of the consignment and its intended delivery network in India. Authorities suspect links to an interstate or international drug trafficking racket.
