In a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a pan-India syndicate involved in trafficking hydroponic weed into the country. The operation, code-named “WeedOut”, led to multiple simultaneous seizures and arrests across Bengaluru, Bhopal, and New Delhi between August 19 and 21.
On August 20, DRI officers intercepted two passengers at Bengaluru’s Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station shortly after they boarded the Rajdhani Express (22691) bound for Delhi. A search of their baggage resulted in the recovery of 29.88 kg of hydroponic weed.
In a coordinated move, another DRI team at Bhopal Junction seized 24.186 kg of the same contraband from two passengers who had boarded the Rajdhani Express a day earlier from Bengaluru.
Simultaneously, in New Delhi, officers traced an associate mastermind of the syndicate. From his possession, investigators recovered proceeds of drug trafficking amounting to ₹1.02 crore.
The operation continued in Bengaluru, where DRI officials intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Thailand on August 20. Officers searched a hotel, where he had checked in, in the early hours of August 21 and recovered an additional 17.958 kg of hydroponic weed.
In total, the officers seized 72 kg of hydroponic weed valued at approximately ₹72 crore, along with ₹1.02 crore in illicit cash, all confiscated under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The DRI confirmed that the associate mastermind and five passengers involved in the smuggling racket have been arrested. Investigations revealed that the syndicate targeted vulnerable sections of society by recruiting college dropouts and unemployed or part-time employed youth through social media networks.
Published – August 23, 2025 12:43 am IST
