21 February,2026 10:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Officials have seized 31 brown tape-wrapped packets. Pic/Special Arrangement
Railway officials on Saturday said that it recovered drugs worth Rs 13.83 crore from an unclaimed bag in the Awadh Express at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on Saturday and a probe has been launched into the matter.
According to the officials, Train No. 19038 arrived at Platform No. 4 at around 4:20 am on February 21. During routine emergency maintenance checks, Constable Mukesh Mangawa noticed a black bag in the rear general (GS) coach at about 6 am. The bag appeared unusually heavy.
With the help of a contractual lockman, the bag was brought to Platform No. 4/5 for inspection.
Upon opening the bag, officials found clothes and several brown tape-wrapped packets containing black shiny material. Suspecting the substance to be contraband, senior railway protection officials were immediately informed, the officials said.
Senior officers from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) reached the spot shortly afterwards, they said.
According to the officials, at around 7:15 am, a dog squad was called to examine the bag. A trained narcotics detection dog indicated the presence of drugs.
A second dog squad team also verified that the contents were narcotic substances. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) railway team later arrived and conducted a detailed examination at the spot.
In the presence of CCTV surveillance, the bag was formally opened and checked. Officials seized 31 brown tape-wrapped packets containing black shiny material and two shirts and one pair of jeans, said the officials.
"The total weight of the suspected charas was found to be 13.834 kilograms. The estimated market value of the seized narcotics is approximately Rs 13.83 crore," an official statement said.
Each packet was labelled, sealed and handed over to the GRP for further investigation, it said.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on 21 February 2026.
The railway officials said that they have launched an investigation into the matter to identify the owner of the bag and trace the person involved in the transportation and intended destination of the seized drugs.
