Hashish worth Rs 15 cr seized from Maldivian national at Kochi airport

Around 3 kg hashish worth over Rs 15 crore was seized from a Maldivian national at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Tuesday, a customs official said here.

The passenger had landed here Monday and was about to fly back to Maldives by an IndiGo flight this morning when he was nabbed, the official said.

The airport security personnel grew suspicious over a bag the passenger was carrying.

A dog squad, pressed into service, confirmed the presence of the narcotic hidden in a false cavity in the bag, customs commissioner Sumit Kumar said in a press release.

"We are withholding the name of the Maldivian as the follow up probe may get hampered," Kumar said.

Following the directions of the commissioner, the case was handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for investigation and the accused taken into custody, the release said.