Despite layers of airport security and stringent baggage screening, narcotics continue to find their way past surveillance systems, raising troubling questions about enforcement loopholes. For traffickers, it appears easier than ever to slip through airports with sizable quantities of cannabis, moving it from mainland to island with relative ease, a reality underscored by the latest seizure in Sri Vijaya Puram.
On 17 August 2025 (Sunday), the Anti-Narcotics Police in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands intercepted over 8 kilograms of illicit Ganja at Sri Vijaya Puram International Airport and arrested a 23-year-old man from West Bengal. The recovery not only highlighted the persistence of smuggling attempts but also exposed glaring gaps in pre-boarding checks at mainland airports like Kolkata, which are serving as critical exit points for narcotics entering the islands.
According to police, a credible tip-off indicated that the suspect would be arriving from Kolkata carrying contraband in his luggage. The information was swiftly relayed to the Deputy SP (Narcotics), who directed and personally joined a raiding team at the airport.
The team, equipped with a drug detection kit, a weighing machine, and necessary documentation, positioned itself at the arrival area while enlisting two independent witnesses to ensure transparency. Around 11:00 AM, the suspect was spotted exiting the terminal and was informed of his legal rights under the NDPS Act. He consented to a personal search by the team, which included the Deputy SP.
Inside his multicolored trolley bag, officers discovered two sealed packets wrapped in blue carbon paper and transparent tape. The packets contained a dry, leafy substance giving off the distinct odor of cannabis. A quick test confirmed it as Ganja, weighing 4.065 kg in one packet and 4.105 kg in the other, a total of 8.165 kg.
The contraband, along with the bag, was sealed on the spot under due procedure, and the brass seal was handed to one of the witnesses for safekeeping. The accused was then arrested under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) of the NDPS Act, 1985, and taken to the Anti-Narcotics Police Station along with the seized material, which was deposited in the malkhana. The operation was logged in the E-Sakshya App for transparency.
While the successful bust showcases the efficiency of the Andaman Police, it simultaneously raises a troubling concern: how did nearly 8 kilograms of narcotics evade detection at Kolkata Airport’s baggage screening system? This glaring lapse points to vulnerabilities that traffickers are exploiting with alarming ease.
This latest seizure stands as one of the largest at VSI Airport in recent months, a stark reminder that while traffickers continue to find ways to exploit airport loopholes, the Andaman & Nicobar Police remain determined to prevent narcotics from reaching island communities.
