Mumbai, June 24 (IANS) Mumbai Customs on Wednesday arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth Rs 2.05 crore into the country through Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

According to Mumbai Customs, officials intercepted a passenger identified as A.D. Rajani, a resident of Jamnagar, Gujarat, based on specific suspicion that he might be carrying contraband items after arriving at CSMIA from Bangkok.

Following the interception, a detailed search of the passenger’s baggage was conducted. During the examination, officials found his trolley bag stuffed with 14 packets. Upon opening the packets, they were found to contain the fruiting and flowering tops of a plant suspected to be hydroponic weed (cannabis).

Customs officials recovered a total net weight of 5,869 grams of hydroponic weed, with an estimated value of approximately Rs 2.05 crore in the illicit market. Further investigation into the case is underway.

The latest seizure comes amid a series of recent crackdowns on drug smuggling through Indian airports.

On June 22, Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi seized hydroponic weed worth around Rs 4.80 crore from an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok. The passenger had arrived on Air India flight AI 2335 on June 21 and was intercepted after crossing the Green Channel based on profiling. A detailed examination of his baggage led to the recovery of approximately 13.84 kg of hydroponic weed.

Earlier this month, on June 12, the Customs Department arrested a 28-year-old woman at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 11 kg of hydroponic weed into the country. The seized contraband was estimated to be worth Rs 11.82 crore in the international market.

Hydroponic weed is a high-potency form of cannabis cultivated using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil. Due to its higher concentration of psychoactive compounds and superior quality, it often commands a significantly higher price in the illegal drug market.

–IANS

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