A total of 48.048 kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed, valued at approximately Rs. 48.048 crore in the illicit market, was recovered from 7 passengers arriving from Bangkok on various flights. Arrests were made under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985
Customs officials said these operations were based on profiling and specific intelligence inputs. PIC VIA SAMIULLAH KHAN
Officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone–III, have made significant seizures between 18 and 22 December 2025, targeting narcotics, gold, semi-precious stones, and undeclared foreign currency.
NDPS seizures:
A total of 48.048 kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed, valued at approximately Rs. 48.048 crore in the illicit market, was recovered from 7 passengers arriving from Bangkok on various flights. Arrests were made under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
81 grams of amphetamines, valued at Rs 16.2 lakh, were seized from one passenger arriving from Muscat via Air India Express Flight IX 236 on 18 December.
The passengers reportedly attempted to smuggle the contraband by concealing it inside shampoo bottles and tin snack boxes to evade detection.
Other seizures:
Gold jewellery weighing 283 grams and studded with diamonds, valued at Rs. 35.18 lakh, was recovered from two passengers.
Polished semi-precious stones weighing 6,643 grams, valued at Rs. 24.91 lakh, were recovered from one passenger.
Foreign currency equivalent to Rs. 45.26 lakh was seized from two passengers departing for Fujairah on IndiGo Flight 6E-1501 dated 22 December 2025.
Customs officials said these operations were based on profiling and specific intelligence inputs, highlighting continued vigilance against smuggling activities at Mumbai airport.
In a similar incident last week, officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone–3, seized hydroponic weed and gold worth over Rs 11 crore in multiple cases this week, an official press note stated.
During the three-day operation, customs officers seized 8.467 kg of hydroponic weed from a passenger arriving from Bangkok. They also recovered 2.270 kg of 24-carat gold dust, along with 230 grams of 24-carat gold jewellery, from different passengers at Mumbai Airport.
In one case, based on spot checks and the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) profiling, a Bangladesh national travelling from Male to Dubai via Mumbai was apprehended while allegedly handing over four oval-shaped packets of 24-carat gold dust concealed in wax, weighing 1,460 grams and valued at Rs 1.86 crore, to a staff member of a ground handling agency (BWFS).
The passenger was travelling on IndiGo flights 6E-1132 (Tuesday) and 6E-1451 (Wednesday). Both the passenger and the BWFS staff member were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962, customs officers said.
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