Two women from Punjab were arrested at Gaya International Airport after customs officials allegedly seized 10 kg of marijuana from their luggage.
The women had arrived from Thailand on a Thai Airways flight, and officials are investigating the possible involvement of four other travellers.
The estimated value of the seized consignment is Rs 10 crore, while investigators are examining its source, intended destination and possible links to an international smuggling network.
Two women from Punjab were arrested at Gaya International Airport in Bihar on Wednesday, November 4, after customs officials allegedly recovered around 10 kilograms of marijuana from four bags they were carrying after arriving from Thailand. The seized consignment is estimated to be worth approximately Rs 10 crore in the international market, although the valuation has not been officially confirmed. The women arrived on a Thai Airways flight and were detained after security personnel reportedly noticed suspicious contents during baggage screening.
The passengers were identified as Simranjit and Kulwinder, both reportedly residents of Punjab. Their luggage was scanned during routine security checks at the airport, where personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other security staff noticed suspicious images on the X-ray screen. The women were stopped for questioning, following which officials searched their luggage and allegedly found the suspected narcotics concealed in four separate bags.
Customs officials took the women into custody and questioned them for around eight hours before formally arresting them, according to reports. The seized substance was also taken into custody. Investigators are now examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged transportation of the consignment from Thailand to Bihar and trying to establish who was expected to receive it.
Customs Probe Possible Links To Six-Member Group
Airport sources cited in media reports said a group of six people had travelled to Thailand around four days before the seizure. Two women from the group reportedly returned to Gaya on Wednesday with the suspected marijuana consignment, while the other four members had not reached the airport at the time of the reports. Customs officials are examining whether the group was connected to the alleged smuggling operation.
Investigators are questioning the arrested women to establish how the consignment was procured, who arranged its transportation and where it was supposed to be delivered. They are also examining the possible involvement of other people in the alleged operation. However, no details about the intended recipient or the wider network have been officially confirmed.
The reported involvement of the other four travellers has widened the scope of the investigation. Officials are expected to examine the group's travel details and possible connections as they attempt to establish whether the seizure was part of a larger international drug-trafficking operation. No arrests involving the other four members had been reported in the initial coverage.
Gaya Airport Seizure Raises Questions Over International Drug Smuggling
The seizure has brought renewed attention to the use of international air routes for the alleged transportation of narcotics. Gaya International Airport, located near the Buddhist pilgrimage centre of Bodh Gaya, receives international passengers, including travellers from Southeast Asian countries. The latest recovery has placed the role of baggage screening and customs checks under scrutiny.
The incident is not the first reported narcotics seizure at the airport. A separate report said customs officials had seized around 25 kilograms of suspected hydroponic cannabis there in January 2026, while another seizure involving approximately 8.8 kilograms was reported in December 2024. These incidents have highlighted the challenges faced by enforcement agencies in detecting suspected drug consignments arriving through international flights.
The investigation into Wednesday's seizure is continuing. Customs officials are seeking to establish the source of the suspected marijuana, its intended destination and whether other individuals were involved in transporting the consignment.
