Hybrid ganja worth ₹9 cr seized: 2 held at Karipur airport, smuggler escapes in taxi

Kondotty, Kerala : Police uncovered a major drug smuggling attempt involving ₹9 crore worth of hybrid ganja, smuggled from Abu Dhabi, at the Karipur International Airport on Monday. While two men were arrested over the matter, the prime suspect managed to escape in a taxi.

The breakthrough came after airport police spotted two men — Rigil (35) and Roshan R. Babu (33), both hailing from Kannur, waiting at the airport around 8 p.m. When questioned, they claimed they had come just to roam and take photographs. However, their conflicting responses raised suspicion. A detailed interrogation revealed something deeper — they were in fact waiting to receive a consignment of hybrid cannabis being smuggled by a passenger arriving from Abu Dhabi on an Etihad Airways flight.

The passenger, who had transited via Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, was carrying a large trolley bag filled with 14 vacuum-sealed packets of hybrid ganja weighing 18 kg in total. Police found the suspect’s photographs and travel details stored on Roshan’s phone — corroborating the link between the duo and the smuggling operation.

The escape

By the time police moved to intercept the passenger, he had already exited the airport. He hired a pre-paid taxi, but soon asked the driver to slow down, citing a need to smoke. Seizing the moment, he fled— leaving both his trolley and hand baggage behind in the vehicle. The police opened the luggage and recovered the cannabis packets. The two arrested men are now in custody, while a search operation is underway to trace the absconding passenger.