Officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone–III, detected and booked multiple smuggling cases during duty hours between December 30 and December 31, 2025, resulting in the seizure of diamonds, gold and narcotic substances collectively valued at over ₹14.3 crore.
Based on spot checks and Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) profiling, Customs officials booked four cases. In one major case, 849.6 carats of diamonds valued at ₹2.52 crore were recovered from a passenger. The diamonds were concealed inside the passenger’s body cavity.
In another case, 89 grams of 24-carat gold in the form of rhodium-plated buttons, valued at ₹11.35 lakh, were seized from a passenger.
Customs officials also detected a gold smuggling racket involving airport staff. In this case, 1,470 grams of 24-carat gold dust in wax form, valued at ₹1.87 crore, was recovered from a passenger along with an Air India Airport Services Limited (AIASL) staff member. Investigations revealed that a Bangladeshi transit passenger handed over the contraband to another Bangladeshi transit passenger, who subsequently passed it on to the AIASL staff member.
In a major narcotics haul, Customs officers seized 8.008 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately ₹8.008 crore in the illicit market, from a passenger who had arrived from Bangkok. The accused was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Additionally, acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs officials booked two more cases. In one case, 160 grams of 24-carat gold valued at ₹20.41 lakh was recovered from two passengers.
In another NDPS case, 1.946 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately ₹1.946 crore in the illicit market, was seized from a passenger who arrived from Bangkok via IndiGo flight 6E-1052. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985.
Further investigations are underway in all cases.