In a series of swift operations, the Airport Commissionerate of Mumbai Customs Zone-III has seized narcotics worth over ₹5 crore and intercepted a consignment of exotic wildlife in three separate cases at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The first case was detected on August 9, 2025, when Customs officers, acting on profiling, intercepted a passenger who had arrived from Bangkok on flight 6E1052. A thorough examination of the passenger’s checked-in trolley bag led to the recovery of 2.873 kilograms of suspected hydroponic weed (marijuana), valued at approximately ₹2.87 crore in the illicit market. The narcotics had been cleverly concealed inside the baggage. The passenger was placed under arrest under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In the second incident, on August 10, 2025, another passenger arriving from Bangkok via flight 6E1060 was stopped by Customs officials. During baggage inspection, officers found 2.339 kilograms of suspected hydroponic weed, estimated to be worth ₹2.33 crore. This consignment too was hidden in a checked-in trolley bag. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act.
The third operation, conducted on August 11, 2025, was based on specific intelligence inputs. Officers intercepted a passenger from Bangkok on flight 6E1052 and discovered a live consignment of exotic wildlife concealed inside a dark grey trolley bag. The seized animals included meerkats, a common blue-tongued skink, a four-eyed turtle, red and green iguanas, several species of tarantulas, ceram mangrove monitor lizards, and tree crickets. The passenger was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, read with the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Customs authorities said these cases reflect the continued attempts by smugglers to bring contraband and protected species into the country and reiterated their commitment to strict enforcement of laws to protect national security and biodiversity.