Hybrid ganja and other suspected drugs worth around Rs 3.50 crore hidden in items such as baby toys and diapers were seized from parcels dispatched from countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada, Gujarat police said on Saturday.

An FIR was registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and efforts were on to nab five persons based in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, an official said.

He said drugs hidden in suspected couriers originating from the USA, Canada and UK were ordered through social media, telegram as well as the dark web and were paid for in crypto currencies deposited in bank accounts located abroad, he said.

A search operation involving Ahmedabad Crime Branch and Customs Department was conducted on Friday and 58 couriers sent from abroad were segregated after they were found to contain drugs such as hybrid ganja and kratom, a police statement informed.

"Hybrid ganja weighing 11.6 kg and estimated to cost Rs 3.48 crore in the international markets, and 60 bottles of liquid kratom extract worth Rs 72,000 were found hidden in toys, baby diapers, story books, chocolates, jackets, speakers, vitamin candy, etc. The help of sniffer dogs was taken to segregate suspected parcels," the statement said.

Explaining the modus operandi, the official said peddlers would contact the delivery agent to say the address given in the courier has changed and it should now be delivered at the new changed address.

He said Ahmedabad Crime Branch had alerted Surat police, which seized drugs worth Rs 28 lakh sent similarly through courier in a separate operation.

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