In a major crackdown at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the Mumbai Customs Department seized hydroponic cannabis and prohibited medicines worth over ₹7 crore. In four separate operations, four passengers were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
According to officials, the seizures included 7.318 kilograms of hydroponic ganja and 99 bottles (each of 100 ml capacity) of cough syrup containing codeine phosphate, a banned substance. The arrests were made in four different incidents at the airport, exposing a worrying trend of drug smuggling via international routes.
In the first case, customs officials intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Bangkok. Upon checking his trolley bag, they recovered 610 grams of hydroponic ganja. The passenger was immediately placed under arrest under the NDPS Act.
In a second incident, another Bangkok-returning passenger was caught with a significantly larger quantity—5.256 kilograms of hydroponic ganja. He too was taken into custody.
The third case involved a passenger arriving from Bangkok based on a prior intelligence tip-off. Authorities recovered 1.452 kilograms of hydroponic ganja from his trolley bag and arrested him on the spot.
In a separate operation, customs officers intercepted a passenger bound for Riyadh and found 99 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine phosphate in his luggage. These syrups, which are often misused for intoxication, are strictly regulated. The passenger was detained under the NDPS provisions.
Officials noted that countries in South America are major producers of cannabis, which is then trafficked globally through various routes. In recent months, Bangkok has emerged as a key transit hub for smuggling hydroponic ganja into India.
With a high number of flights operating between India and Thailand due to tourism, traffickers have been exploiting this corridor. In the past six months alone, cannabis worth over ₹100 crore has been seized, hinting at a well-organised racket involving Indian traffickers operating from Thailand.
Hydroponic ganja, which is cultivated using advanced soilless farming techniques, is more expensive and thus more lucrative for smugglers. The authorities suspect that the relaxed laws around cannabis in Thailand are encouraging Indian traffickers to operate from there and smuggle high-grade narcotics into India.
Customs authorities have intensified vigilance on the Bangkok route and similar international flights, and further investigations are underway to unearth the full extent of this smuggling network.