Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad is increasingly under the scanner as a potential hub for smugglers. In the latest crackdown, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized illegal goods worth ₹7 crore from two passengers within just four hours on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.
In the first case, a woman arriving from Thailand at 11:30 pm on Wednesday was caught with 6.5 kg of ganja valued at ₹6.5 crore. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials were waiting for her at the airport.
Just hours later, a male passenger flying in from Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airlines was found smuggling 9.5 kg of saffron, 15 iPhone Pros, and four Apple Watches—items worth ₹24 lakh.
These incidents are part of a worrying trend. In April and May 2025 alone, officials seized hybrid ganja worth ₹150 crore in six separate cases, arresting 15 traffickers, all from outside Gujarat.
Intelligence agencies have since begun profiling the arrested individuals to track their networks and monitor their activities both within India and abroad.
In addition to drugs and electronics, gold smuggling is also on the rise. Between January and May, six gold smuggling attempts were intercepted at the Ahmedabad airport.
The surge in such cases has prompted tighter surveillance and increased vigilance at the airport by both Customs and DRI teams.