NT Reporter
Panaji
The District and Sessions Court, North Goa, on Monday dismissed the bail application of Ansari Fahad Mohd Sajid, one of five persons arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit
(AIU) of Goa Customs in March in connection with the seizure of 23.83 kilograms of hydroponic weed (cannabis) worth over
Rs 8.34 crore.
The court said the
accused appeared to be part of a large international criminal organisation involved in the international drug trade.
The court had earlier dismissed the bail applications of Seema Katyal, Madhuri Vijay Naidu and Aamer Sayeedullah Khan, while granting conditional bail
to Tanmay Jadhav on health grounds.
The court said the investigating officer had stated in the say that a total of 24 black-coloured sealed packets containing lumps in
the form of fruiting/flowering tops of plants purported to be hydroponic
weed (cannabis) were found with the applicant and the co-accused and, upon weighing, were found to total 23,832 grams.
“During arguments and it is also mentioned in the say that the chemical analysis report of the seized contraband is positive for ganja. Therefore, the applicant appears to be part
of a large international criminal organisation involved in international drug trade. Though the applicant is not involved in any crime previously, he is a part of an international gang,” the court said.
In March this year, the AIU of Goa Customs had seized 23.83 kilograms of hydroponic weed (cannabis) worth over Rs 8.34 crore from five persons at Manohar International Airport, Mopa. The contraband was concealed inside food packets in the passengers’ checked-in baggage.
Among the five passengers, two had arrived from Bangkok via Muscat, while one person arrived from Abu Dhabi via Muscat at Goa’s Manohar International Airport on March 25. Acting on passenger profiling, AIU officers intercepted the passengers upon their arrival and conducted a detailed
examination of their
baggage.