In a significant bust ahead of Diwali in southern India’s Telangana, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) thwarted a drug smuggling attempt worth (Rs 7 crore) USD 8,32,622 in illicit market value.

The incident took place at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad district on October 31.

Visuals showed transparent lumpy packets of hydroponic weed being extracted from cereal and snack boxes in the custodial room under the DRI’s close watch. The search, based on specific intelligence, led officers to intercept two Indian passengers who had arrived from Bangkok.

According to reports, upon inspection of their luggage, 13 vacuum-sealed transparent packets were found concealed inside chocolate packets. The contents, a greenish, lumpy substance, tested positive for marijuana using a field test kit.

Weighing 7.096 kgs in total, the contraband was seized, and the passengers were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985, before being remanded to judicial custody. Investigations are ongoing to trace further links in the operation.