The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested several members of a drug smuggling gang that recruited unemployed youth and sent them on paid holidays to Thailand to bring back hydroponic ganja, the agency said in an official statement on Friday, adding that the arrests were made in Bengaluru, Bhopal and Delhi.
The DRI has seized a total of 72 kg of hydroponic ganja worth around Rs 72 crore along with ₹ 1.02 crore in cash in the operations across three cities.
The DRI said it intercepted one suspect at a hotel in Bengaluru in the early hours of August 21, shortly after he arrived from Thailand, and found 17.95 kg of hydroponic ganja in his possession.
A key mastermind from Delhi and five travellers who returned from Thailand with the contraband were arrested in Bhopal and Bengaluru, the DRI added.
“The syndicate used to reach out to college dropouts, part-time employed or unemployed youth via social media,” the DRI said in the statement.
The DRI’s pan-India operation to crack down on the smuggling of hydroponic ganja from Thailand began on August 20 under an operation titled ‘WeedOut’. DRI officials first intercepted two passengers at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayana station on the evening of August 20 while they were set to travel on the Rajdhani Express to Delhi. A search of their baggage revealed 29.88 kg of hydroponic ganja. The two travellers had arrived earlier in Bengaluru on a flight from Thailand.
A simultaneous interception of two more passengers travelling on a Rajdhani Express that left Bengaluru on August 19 was carried out at the Bhopal Junction railway station on August 20. The search of the baggage of the two passengers revealed the presence of 24 kg of hydroponic weed, the DRI said.
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A team also tracked down a key mastermind of the hydroponic ganja smuggling racket in Delhi and seized ₹ 1.02 crore of cash from his possession, the DRI added.