New Delhi

Customs officers at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport have arrested three passengers in separate smuggling cases after seizing 6.37 kg of suspected hydroponic weed concealed inside aircraft lavatories, beneath passenger seats and in baggage, officials said on Monday.

Hydroponic weed is a high-potency variety of cannabis grown in nutrient-rich water instead of soil.

The three seizures, involving passengers arriving from Bangkok and Phuket, resulted in the recovery of 6.37 kg of the suspected contraband, separate official statements said.

In the first case, an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok on Monday was intercepted on the basis of advance passenger information system (APIS) profiling after crossing the Green Channel, a statement said.

While nothing suspicious was found in the passenger's baggage, Customs officers rummaged through the aircraft and found four sealed packets of suspected hydroponic weed weighing 3.47 kg, concealed inside both the rear lavatories, it said.

“On being questioned, the passenger admitted to concealing the packets inside the lavatories,” the statement said.

In another case, a passenger arriving from Phuket on Monday was intercepted on the basis of APIS profiling. When no contraband was found in the passenger's baggage, Customs officers searched the aircraft and found six sealed packets containing suspected hydroponic weed weighing 1.5 kg beneath the seats in Row 12, a statement said.

The passenger later admitted to hiding the packets inside the aircraft, it said.

In the third case, an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok on Sunday was intercepted after crossing the Green Channel on the basis of APIS profiling.

During X-ray screening, officers noticed suspicious images of the passenger's baggage. A search led to the seizure of two vacuum-sealed packets containing approximately 1.4 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, a statement said.

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All three passengers were arrested under Section 43(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while the suspected contraband was seized under Section 43(a) of the Act.

Customs described the seized substance in all three cases as “green colour NDPS substance suspected to be ganja/marijuana”.