NCB Seizes Rs 50 Crore Worth Of Hydro Ganja And Psilocybin Mushrooms At Bengaluru Airport

In a major drug bust, NCB Bengaluru seized 45.4 kg of hydro ganja and 6 kg of psilocybin mushrooms at Kempegowda International Airport, from three persons, including a Sri Lankan. Valued at around ₹50 crore, the drugs were concealed in 250 food tins.

"NCB, Bengaluru Zonal Unit, had been developing intelligence on drug cartels involved in trafficking of hydroponic ganja from Thailand for quite some time. One such effort led to interdiction of two persons coming by flight from Colombo to Bengaluru and seized 31.4 kg of hydro ganja and 4 Kg of Psilocybin mushrooms," the agency said.

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Known as magic mushrooms, psilocybin mushrooms cause euphoria, hallucinations and sensory distortion. Meanwhile, trafficking in hydro ganja has become a lucrative business. As per reports, it commands a high premium in retail market as it can be sold up to ₹80 lakh per kg.

"Hydroponic ganja has become an elite party drug due to its high psychoactive effect and many young persons are ready to become mules to bring the contrabands from Thailand. Grown in controlled environments, it contains up to 25 per cent THC as against 5 per cent in normal ganja grown in India. It is meticulously concealed inside tetra packs, chocolate bars, food packaging, clothing, sealed-vacuum pouches to mask odour and evade scanners at airports. Routes often involve transits via third country like Dubai, Colombo or Kathmandu, etc. as direct flights from Bangkok invite more scrutiny at the airports," the agency added.