Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 29 : In a major drug bust, Pune Customs officials have seized hydroponic marijuana valued at approximately ₹26.80 crore from an import consignment at the Air Cargo Complex of Pune International Airport, officials said.
The seizure was made on March 26 after a consignment declared as 'Mandarin orange sacs' arrived from Thailand. The shipment, labelled as food items of Chinese origin, was packed in white thermocol boxes and underwent routine scanning at the Air Cargo facility.
During the scanning process, officials noticed anomalies in the images, which did not appear consistent with organic food products. Acting on suspicion, customs officers opened one of the boxes and found sealed tin cans inside.
Upon further examination, the officers discovered a salt-like white granular substance inside the cans. When the material was removed, vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packets containing hydroponic marijuana (cannabis) were recovered.
Subsequently, the entire consignment was inspected, leading to the recovery of a total of 76.58 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, estimated to be worth around ₹26.80 crore in the illicit Indian market.
Following the seizure, Pune Customs launched a search operation, and one accused has been arrested in connection with the case.
Further investigation is currently underway to trace the network involved in the smuggling operation, officials added.
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