Bengaluru Airport Sees Multiple Seizures of Ganja and Wild Animals in 10 Days
From April to October this year, Kempegowda International Airport reported as many as 370 kg of hydroponic ganja and arrests of 57 offenders
BENGALURU: There has been one after the other seizures of hydroponic ganja and endangered wild animals at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Devanahalli by sleuths of Bengaluru Customs in the last 10-days leading to arrests of persons alleged to have involved in the smuggling of contraband containing hydroponic ganja and endangered wild animals.
Based on spot profiling on October 15, sleuths of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted 4 foreign nationals at the airport and seized about 94 kgs of Hydroponic Ganja estimated to cost Rs 94 crore. The hydroponic ganja was concealed in tin boxes. The accused posed as members of the same family with 4 others travelling. The contraband was seized and arrests made under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act, 1985.
A day later, sleuths of AIU intercepted a female passenger on her arrival from Bangkok via Hong Kong on the night of October15-16 and seized from her hydroponic ganja of about 4 kgs. The hydroponic ganja was concealed in her luggage before the sleuths came across to seize it. The female passenger was arrested under NDPS Act.
Sleuths of AIU attached to Kempegowda International Airport on Wednesday (October 22) arrested a passenger from Bangkok who was caught carrying 5 kg of hydroponic ganja. The passenger had concealed the hydroponic ganja in his baggage before it was caught by the sleuths at the airport. The passenger was arrested under NDPS Act and investigation is underway.
AIU sleuths on Thursday seized a 27-year-old passenger from Bangkok carrying a Silvery Gibbon and 2 Black-Shanked Doucs, both endangered species under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The passenger from Bangkok has been arrested under Customs Act, 1962. Investigation continues in the case.
From April to October this year, Kempegowda International Airport reported as many as 370 kg of hydroponic ganja and arrests of 57 offenders. As far as detection/catching of smuggling of wild animals by Bengaluru Customs, since April this year, sleuths cracked down on wildlife trafficking and rescued about 10,000 smuggled wild animals most of them endangered ones such as Douc Langurs, Silver Gibbons, turtles and snakes. The rescued wild animals have been repatriated to their respective countries from which they arrived or belong to.
A wildlife activist told Deccan Chronicle on Friday smugglers use Bengaluru as their centre to smuggle endangered wild animals to Tamil Nadu among others. Some endangered wild animals such as star-shaped tortoise, double-headed snakes are usually smuggled over the myth that keeping a particular wild animal boosts one's fortunes/attracts wealth.
