Mumbai Customs officials have made significant seizures in a crackdown on smuggling at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI), Mumbai Zone-III. Authorities confiscated 1.18 kg of suspected cocaine valued at approximately ₹11.8 crore, along with 485 grams of gold dust worth ₹40 lakh, in two separate incidents.
On March 2, 2025, Customs officers intercepted a passenger who arrived in Mumbai from Uganda via Ugandan Airlines flight UR 430. The individual was identified based on spot profiling, and during questioning, exhibited signs of nervousness. Upon further interrogation, the passenger admitted to having ingested capsules containing a white, crumbled substance, suspected to be a narcotic drug.
Following legal procedures, the accused was presented before the Hon’ble Judicial Magistrate, who ordered medical supervision for the recovery process. Over the next three days, 100 capsules containing a total of 1.18 kg of suspected cocaine were purged and retrieved. The seized substance, valued at ₹11.8 crore in the illicit market, has been taken into custody, and legal action under the NDPS Act, 1985, is being initiated. Further investigations are underway.
In another incident, Customs officials, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a 93-year-old passenger who was found smuggling 485 grams of 24KT gold dust. The contraband, valued at ₹40 lakh, was hidden within the clothing worn by the passenger. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Authorities have intensified surveillance at Mumbai Airport to curb smuggling activities. Investigations in both cases are ongoing.