Nedumbassery, Wednesday, May 04, 2011: The Department of Customs has launched an inquiry to trace the racket involved in the trafficking of ketamine hydrochloride through the Cochin international Airport.

Customs officials at the Airport on Monday seized six kg of the drug from the baggage of two passengers to Kuala Lumpur.

“The drug is worth Rs.60 lakh in the international market, which costs only Rs.60, 000 a kg in India,” said Nasser Khan, Deputy Commissioner of customs, Kochi.

This is said to be the largest haul of its kind at the airport after 20 kg of ketamine was seized in March 2008.

The passengers, identified as Babu Abdul Aziz, 37, of the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, and Muhammad Shafi, 36, of Thalassery, were detained while attempting to board an Air Asia flight.