Mumbai Customs officials have arrested a 22-year-old youth for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth ₹5.84 crore from Bangkok into the city. The accused has been identified as Rijhwani, a resident of Ulhasnagar, who has been produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
According to Customs officials, the Accused was intercepted at the arrival hall of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI), Mumbai, after arriving from Bangkok on a flight. The interception was carried out based on suspicion and passenger profiling.
During the investigation, officials examined his trolley bag, which initially appeared to contain clothes and food packets. However, upon closer inspection, six plastic packets were recovered concealed beneath the clothes. When the packets were cut open, a strong unpleasant odour emanated from a green-coloured dry leafy substance found in lump form.
The substance was tested and confirmed to be a narcotic drug, suspected to be hydroponic weed, which is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The total weight of the seized contraband was 5,849 grams, with an estimated market value of ₹5.84 crore.
Customs officials are now probing the matter to identify the source of the drugs in Bangkok and the intended recipient in Mumbai. Further investigation is underway.