A 62-YEAR-OLD Malaysian has been arrested in Chennai after Indian Customs officers allegedly found 3.452kg of hydroponic cannabis worth about RM520,000 hidden in a false-bottom suitcase.
The arrest on Aug 31 marked the second case involving a Malaysian allegedly carrying hydroponic cannabis into Chennai within a month.
According to United News of India (UNI), the man arrived at Anna International Airport from Kuala Lumpur and attempted to leave through the Green Channel without making any declaration to Customs.
His movements, however, aroused the suspicion of officers from the Chennai Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), who were conducting passenger profiling.
A subsequent inspection of his checked-in luggage uncovered four transparent, airtight packets concealed inside a false-bottom compartment.
The packets contained a greenish-brown dried substance weighing 3,452 grammes, which was suspected to be hydroponic cannabis.
A drug detection kit subsequently tested the substance positive for cannabis, prompting its seizure under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.
The Malaysian was arrested under the relevant provisions and remanded in judicial custody as investigations continued into possible links to a wider international drug trafficking network.
The latest arrest follows the detention of another Malaysian, a 54-year-old man from Perak, in Chennai on Aug 8.
He was arrested after Customs officers allegedly found 4.033kg of hydroponic cannabis following his arrival from Bangkok.
Indian Customs later confirmed the case, while Bukit Aman said the drugs were believed to have been sourced from Thailand. - September 3, 2026
