The passenger, who had travelled on an Air India Express flight from Bangkok, Thailand, was caught on Friday; the accused has been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act
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The Customs department has arrested a passenger for alleged possession of methaqualone worth Rs 2.61 crore at the international airport in Pune, an official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.
The passenger, who had travelled on an Air India Express flight from Bangkok, Thailand, was caught on Friday, the official said.
"We received intel about a passenger in possession of drugs. We intercepted him and found a crystal-like substance in his checked-in baggage. A field test confirmed that it was methaqualone, worth Rs 2.61 crore in the illicit market," said a senior officer from the customs department, reported PTI.
The accused has been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said.
Hashish worth Rs 1.1 cr seized in Thane district; one held
In another case, a 29-year-old man has been arrested for alleged possession of more than 1 kg of hashish worth Rs 1.1 crore in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Saturday, reported PTI.
Acting on a tip-off, the anti-narcotics squad laid a trap on the Shilphata-Mumbra Road on September 14 and intercepted the accused, Masud Badbuddin Ainarkar, senior inspector Rahul Maske said, reported PTI.
He said Ainarkar, a native of Ratnagiri, was found with the contraband, allegedly meant for sale.
A case was registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and he has been remanded in police custody till September 23, he said, reported PTI.
"Preliminary investigations suggest that the hashish may have been smuggled from abroad. The accused is being interrogated to determine the source and intended distribution network," the official added.
Customs seizes hydroponic weed worth Rs 20 crore at Mumbai airport
Meanwhile, Mumbai Customs has seized hydroponic weed worth Rs 20 crore and foreign currency worth Rs 26.37 lakh in three separate cases at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), an official said on Friday, reported PTI.
The seizures and arrests were made on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, an official said.
In the first case, a passenger going to Bangkok from Mumbai was intercepted, and foreign currency concealed in his checked-in trolley bag was recovered.
In the other two cases, the baggage of two passengers who had arrived from Bangkok was searched, leading to the seizure of hydroponic weed (a form of marijuana) worth Rs 20.062 crore, the official said, reported PTI.
As much as 9.98 kg of hydroponic weed was seized from the first passenger, and 10.08 kg of the narcotic drug from the other.
Both the passengers were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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