Mumbai Customs officials on Tuesday arrested a man for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed valued at Rs 90 lakh from Bangkok. The accused had cleverly concealed the contraband inside a trolley bag.
The arrested individual has been identified as Sangeesh Khan Kuppai Kani Khan Sahib, a resident of Chennai. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs officials had been alerted that a passenger by the name Sangeesh Khan Kuppai Kani Khan Sahib was carrying narcotic substances in violation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The passenger, who arrived at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport from Bangkok on Monday, was intercepted at the Terminal 2 arrival hall after crossing the green channel. Upon checking his checked-in baggage, Customs officers recovered four packets containing a green, dry leafy substance packed in compressed form.
When questioned, the passenger confessed that the material inside the transparent, sealed packets was 'hydroponic weed'.
Subsequent testing confirmed that the seized substance was indeed hydroponic weed, which falls under the prohibited list of the NDPS Act. On this basis, Sangeesh Khan Kuppai Kani Khan Sahib was formally arrested on Tuesday under relevant provisions of the Act.
Officials further stated that preliminary investigations, including the accused’s statement, suggest the involvement of other individuals in the smuggling of 907 grams of hydroponic weed/marijuana/ganja. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend these associates, as the investigation is still at an early stage.