Customs officials seize ganja, red-eared slider turtles from three passengers at Chennai airport

The Air Intelligence officials of the Customs department seized more than 4 kilograms of ganja from two male passengers at the Chennai International airport on Monday night. The officials also seized 2,800 red-eared slider turtles from a passenger coming from Malaysia. 

A senior official of the Customs department said the officials of the Air Intelligence unit got a tip-off that ganja was being smuggled in a flight coming from Kuala Lumpur. Based on this, the officials intercepted a passenger coming from Thailand via Kuala Lumpur. The officials found seven bundles weighing 3.42 kilograms of ganja hidden in a compartment of his suitcase. The same officials intercepted a passenger coming from Bangkok in a private airline and seized 700 grams of ganja. The seized ganja was valued at ₹1.45 crore. Both the passengers were arrested.

Similarly, the officials of the Customs department checked the baggage of a tourist coming from Malaysia and found 2,800 red eared slider turtles being smuggled into the city. The turtles were seized under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Customs Act, and the Malaysian passenger was arrested.