18 March,2026 08:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Hydroponic weed seized by Mumbai Customs. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III, have arrested four passengers, including one foreign national, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, for the alleged possession of hydroponic weed. The seizures were made on Tuesday based on spot checks and Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) profiling.
A total of 64.394 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately Rs 64.39 crore in the illicit market, was recovered from the passengers, who had arrived from Bangkok. Further investigation is underway.
This latest crackdown adds to a string of similar operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), highlighting the growing challenge of hydroponic weed smuggling from Thailand.
In a related series of cases reported earlier this month (between March 3 and March 10, 2026), Mumbai Customs Zone-III seized more than 12 kg of suspected hydroponic weed and gold worth Rs 59.57 lakh in multiple incidents. Through spot checks, APIS profiling, and specific intelligence inputs, officers detected four cases involving hydroponic weed, recovering 12.031 kg from five passengers arriving from Bangkok. The contraband was estimated at Rs 12.03 crore in the illicit market, leading to arrests under the NDPS Act.
Additionally, an intelligence-led operation yielded 499 grams of suspected NDPS substance (valued at Rs 49.9 lakh) from another Bangkok-origin passenger, who was also arrested.
In separate gold smuggling detections during the same period, 409 grams of gold worth Rs 59.57 lakh were recovered from three passengers.
More recently, between March 11 and 15, customs officers seized 12.688 kg of hydroponic weed worth Rs 12.68 crore concealed in a trolley bag carried by a passenger from Bangkok, along with 716 grams of gold valued at Rs 1.1 crore from two other passengers in separate cases. The weed smuggler was arrested under the NDPS Act.
These incidents reflect intensified vigilance by Mumbai Customs at the airport, where hydroponic weed (a high-potency cannabis variety grown soillessly) has emerged as a major concern. Officials have noted Thailand as a primary source, with smuggling attempts rising significantly in recent months. Between April 2025 and January 2026, over 200 cases led to the seizure of more than 1,101 kg of the drug.
Customs authorities continue to rely on profiling, intelligence, and routine checks to curb narcotics and contraband inflow. Investigations in all cases are ongoing to trace supply chains and networks.
