Based on spot checks and APIS profiling, customs officers booked four cases of hydroponic weed smuggling, recovering 12.031 kg of the suspected narcotic substance from five passengers who had arrived from Bangkok
Pic/Special Arrangement
Officers of the Airport Commissionerate under Mumbai Customs Zone-III have seized more than 12 kg of suspected hydroponic weed and gold worth Rs 59.57 lakh in multiple cases detected at the city’s international airport between March 3 and March 10, 2026, officials said.
According to a press release issued by the department, the seizures were made through spot checks, APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) profiling, and specific intelligence inputs, leading to several arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Hydroponic weed worth over Rs 12 crore seized in multiple cases
Based on spot checks and APIS profiling, customs officers booked four cases of hydroponic weed smuggling, recovering 12.031 kg of the suspected narcotic substance from five passengers who had arrived from Bangkok.
The seized contraband is estimated to be worth approximately Rs 12.03 crore in the illicit market. All five passengers were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, the release said.
Gold worth Rs 59.57 lakh recovered from three passengers
In separate operations carried out through profiling and checks, customs officials also booked three cases of gold smuggling, recovering 409 grams of gold from three passengers.
The seized gold has an estimated value of Rs 59.57 lakh, officials said, adding that further investigation into the cases is underway.
Additional drug seizure based on specific intelligence
Acting on specific intelligence, customs officers detected another hydroponic weed smuggling case, recovering 499 grams of suspected NDPS substance from a passenger arriving from Bangkok.
The seized contraband is valued at approximately Rs 49.9 lakh in the illegal market, and the passenger involved was arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985.
Continued vigilance at Mumbai airport
Officials said the cases highlight the ongoing vigilance by Mumbai Customs in preventing the smuggling of narcotics and precious metals through the airport. Further investigations are underway to determine the source and intended distribution networks linked to the seizures.
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