Kochi: A Malappuram resident was arrested at the Cochin International Airport here while trying to smuggle around 5.5 kilograms of hybrid ganja worth Rs 5.5 crore abroad, the Customs department said on Saturday.

Customs Superintendent Vivek Nair said that acting on specific intelligence, officers of the High-Performance Unit (HPU), Customs Cochin Preventive Commissionerate (CCP), intercepted a passenger bound for Ras-Al Khaimah, UAE, on an Indigo flight from Kochi.

The officers conducted a detailed examination of the passenger's trolley bag at the Departure Hall of the airport and found approximately 5.5 kg of hybrid ganja or hydroponic weed in his possession.

The department said that the recovered narcotic substance, ingeniously concealed inside food packets, was worth around Rs 5.5 crore in the international market.

The passenger has been arrested under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further investigation is underway, Nair said. PTI