29 January,2026 08:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The currency was found to be hidden in both check-in and hand baggage, officials said. Pic/Mumbai Customs
Mumbai Customs on Thursday said that officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III have made several significant seizures including US dollars, weed, gold and diamonds worth crores.
It said that the several operations were carried out during the period from January 21 to January 29, 2026.
The actions were based on passenger profiling, intelligence inputs and routine checks at the Mumbai airport, it said.
Customs officials booked four cases involving hydroponic weed.
"Two of these cases were identified through spot checks and APIS profiling, while the other two were based on specific intelligence," officials said.
According to the Mumbai Customs, in the first two cases, 10.561 kg of suspected hydroponic weed was recovered from two passengers arriving from Bangkok.
In the second set of cases, 15.961 kg of suspected hydroponic weed was recovered from two other passengers, also arriving from Bangkok.
The total value of the seized narcotics in the illicit market is estimated at about Rs 26.522 crore. All four passengers have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The suspects attempted to conceal the contraband inside their trolley bags.
Customs officers also intercepted five gold smuggling cases, recovering a total of 3,632 grams of 24-karat gold, valued at around Rs 4.99 crore.
On January 27, 2026, 1,470 grams of gold, worth approximately Rs 2.1 crore, were seized in a case involving a Bangladeshi transit passenger and an airport staff member.
The gold was handed over to a staff member of Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited (HRPL) at Mumbai airport by the transit passenger. Both individuals were arrested.
"The gold was concealed inside the body cavity," said an official.
In four other cases, 2,162 grams of gold were seized from four passengers.
In a separate case, Mumbai Customs officials seized 10,660 carats (2,132 grams) of diamonds, valued at Rs 1.81 crore, from a single passenger.
The diamonds were concealed inside the passenger's check-in baggage.
The Mumbai Customs officers also booked three cases involving foreign currency, recovering a total equivalent of Rs 1.18 crore from four passengers. The currency was hidden in both check-in and hand baggage, officials said.
