Mumbai Airport Customs Bust Major Drug Smuggling Racket, Hydroponic Weed Worth Over Rs 48 Crore Seized

Mumbai Customs officials of the Airport Commissionerate, Customs Zone–III, detected multiple cases of drug trafficking, gold smuggling and foreign currency violations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between December 18 and December 22, 2025.

Based on passenger profiling, Customs officers seized a total of 35.045 kg of suspected narcotic substance identified as hydroponic weed from five passengers in three separate cases. The contraband, valued at approximately Rs 35.045 crore in the illicit international market, was recovered from passengers arriving from Bangkok on various flights. All the accused were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

In another case, Customs officials seized 81 grams of amphetamines valued at Rs 16.20 lakh from a passenger who arrived from Muscat on Air India Express flight IX-236 on December 18, 2025. The passenger was also arrested under the NDPS Act.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs officers further recovered 13.003 kg of suspected hydroponic weed worth approximately Rs 13.003 crore from two passengers in two separate cases. These passengers had also arrived from Bangkok on different flights and were taken into custody under the NDPS Act.

Investigations revealed that the accused attempted to smuggle the hydroponic weed by concealing the contraband inside shampoo bottles and tin snack boxes in an effort to evade detection by Customs officials.

Apart from NDPS-related cases, Mumbai Customs booked two cases of gold smuggling during the same period. A total of 283 grams of diamond-studded gold jewellery valued at Rs 35.18 lakh was recovered from two passengers. In another case, 6,643 grams of polished semi-precious stones worth Rs 24.91 lakh were seized from a passenger.

Additionally, Customs officials registered two cases involving the seizure of foreign currency equivalent to Rs 45.26 lakh from two passengers who were attempting to depart for Fujairah from Mumbai on IndiGo flight 6E-1501 on December 22, 2025.

Further investigation in all the cases is underway.