In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, Customs officials in Kochi have successfully apprehended a 23-year-old man, seizing a substantial consignment of suspected hybrid ganja estimated to be worth approximately ₹2 crore.
The individual, identified as Zachariya Titus from Vaduthala, was intercepted by the Customs Intelligence Wing as he collected a parcel from the Foreign Post Office. Sources indicate the package, which reportedly originated from Thailand, contained around 2 kilograms of the illicit substance, meticulously divided into at least four separate packets.
Following his arrest, Titus was presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Economic Offences) and has since been remanded to judicial custody.
This incident is the latest in a concerning trend of hybrid ganja seizures reported across Kerala in recent months. Authorities have noted a surge in such cases, highlighting a persistent challenge for law enforcement. For instance, just recently, the Cochin Customs Air Intelligence Unit intercepted 4 kg of suspected hybrid ganja from a passenger arriving at Kochi airport from Bangkok. Earlier, the Air Customs wing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport made a significant bust, arresting two young men from Malappuram who were allegedly attempting to smuggle around 10 kg of hybrid ganja, also from Bangkok.
Further illustrating this pattern, the Air Customs Intelligence Wing at Calicut International Airport previously seized a massive 34 kg of hybrid ganja from three women who had arrived from Thailand. Additionally, the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), Cochin, thwarted an attempt to export 5.5 kg of suspected hybrid ganja through Kochi airport, leading to the arrest of a Malappuram native. These ongoing operations underscore the relentless efforts of Customs officials to combat the rising tide of drug smuggling in the region.