160 kg plants, seeds seized from 2 flyers at airport
Times of India | 18 August 2026
Kolkata: Customs officials at Kolkata airport seized around 160 kg of live plants and seeds worth several crores allegedly brought illegally from Bangkok by two Indian passengers. The seized material was examined by a plant quarantine officer, who found that several species were either prohibited for import from Thailand or required post-entry quarantine facilities, prescribed declarations and valid Plant Quarantine permits. The passengers allegedly failed to produce the mandatory documents leading to their detention.
The two passengers were intercepted at the airport’s arrival hall on Aug 15 after they landed from Bangkok on flight B3-701. A detailed examination of their checked-in and hand baggage led to the recovery of the consignment, Customs said in a statement issued on Monday.
The entire consignment was subsequently seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, on the reasonable belief that it had been imported in violation of the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, and other applicable laws. The plants and seeds are liable for confiscation and will be deported to Bangkok following due procedure, Customs said.
“At international airports, customs and plant quarantine units inspect passenger baggage and cargo to block foreign plant pests, seeds, and soil from entering the country. Travellers carrying fresh fruits, vegetables, or plant parts must declare them, while commercial importers need prior clearance permits. These two didn’t have the necessary permits and were bypassing the quarantine protocols,” said a senior airport official.
In a follow-up operation aimed at identifying the wider network, an AIU team along with Customs officers searched the residential-cum-business premises of one of the passengers and found evidence of illegal sales through cash vouchers without GST invoices. Investigators are now probing the source of the material in Thailand and identifying potential buyers in India.
Officials warned that the unregulated movement of foreign plants and seeds could introduce invasive alien species, pests and plant pathogens, potentially damaging crops, native vegetation and biodiversity.
“Sellers without valid import license buy these plants from exhibitors in Thailand and bring them illegally to India to sell them at a much higher price to plant collectors. It’s a large racket who also entice travellers into carrying flora and fauna smuggled in baggage,” the officer said.