Prøve GULL - Gratis

Hybrid weed smuggling outpaces gold after customs duty reduction

The New Indian Express Kannur

|

May 10, 2025

Since July 2024, about 90kg hybrid ganja has been seized from Kochi airport alone

- SHAN A S @T'Puram

BELIEVE it or not. Hybrid ganja is fast emerging as the new 'gold' for international smuggling cartels having Kerala links. The Union government slashing the customs duty on imported gold from 15% to 6% in July 2024 has weaned many of the rackets away from smuggling of the precious metal and some of them have switched to smuggling of hybrid ganja as it fetches a higher profit margin, sources in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs Preventive Commissionerate (CCP) told TNIE.

Customs Preventive Commissionerate sources said since the customs duty was slashed, in the last eight months, the seizure of gold was reduced by one-fifth.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA The New Indian Express Kannur

The New Indian Express Kannur

CM says rehab new path for social integration in C’garh

TEN cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma on Friday, choosing to step away from violence and return to the mainstream.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

'Don't use tourist visa for purpose of giving birth': US warns Indian appliers

Indian nationals anxious with change in laws

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

ONE OF THE RICHEST STATES IS FAILING ITS SCHOOLKIDS

KARNATAKA Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently received a letter from children in Pachedoddi, a hamlet in Chamarajanagar district that lies entirely off the publictransport grid.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

ED raids in three states in illegal cough syrup case, UP action on big stockists

INa major crackdown on the illegal trade in codeine-based cough syrup, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 25 locations across Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat on Friday.

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

MahaYuti stays united, seals Maha seat deal for BMC polls

THE BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are set to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections—scheduled for next month—unitedly.

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

Zubeen's secy, festival organiser among 4 charged with murder

THE Assam Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday filed the charge sheet in the highprofile Zubeen Garg death case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (Metro), slapping the charge of murder against four of the seven accused.

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

Ops to hunt terrorists in Jammu forests

AFTER a series of encounters and brief gunfights in the forest belts of Jammu region in the last six months, security forces have launched a major winter offensive to track down militants hiding in the dense and rugged forest areas.

time to read

1 min

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

MNREGA gets new name, 125 days of employment

SETTING the stage for a major overhaul of the country’s flagship rural jobs scheme, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

House truth: Gujarat’s road safety gap widens

FRESH Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha data have exposed serious problems in Gujarat’s road management system.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

The New Indian Express Kannur

Police post built with stones thrown at cops during Sambhal clash opens

A newly constructed police post was inaugurated on Friday, just 100 metres away from the residences of Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barg.

time to read

1 mins

December 13, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size