Mumbai, June 24: The Customs Department at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai has made a significant drug seizure, confiscating hydroponic weed valued at ₹2.05 crore. A 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case, as he attempted to smuggle narcotics from Bangkok into India.
The arrested individual has been identified as A.D. Rajani, a resident of Jamnagar in Gujarat. Customs officials had suspicions regarding the passenger carrying restricted items. Based on this, he was stopped upon arrival from Bangkok, and his luggage underwent a thorough inspection.
During the search, officials discovered 14 packets in his trolley bag. Upon opening these packets, they found plant flowers and upper parts, which were suspected to be hydroponic weed (cannabis). Subsequent testing confirmed these suspicions.
Customs officials seized a total of 5,869 grams of hydroponic weed, with an estimated illegal market value of around ₹2.05 crore. The investigation is ongoing to determine if there is a larger smuggling network involved.
It is noteworthy that Indian airports have seen a surge in drug trafficking enforcement in recent days. On June 22, approximately ₹4.80 crore worth of hydroponic weed was seized from an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. This passenger was found with around 13.84 kilograms of the narcotic.
Additionally, on June 12, a 28-year-old woman was arrested at Mumbai Airport for attempting to smuggle over 11 kilograms of hydroponic weed, valued at approximately ₹11.82 crore in the international market.
Hydroponic weed is a high-quality strain of cannabis grown using water and specialized nutrients instead of soil. It contains a higher concentration of psychoactive compounds, making it significantly more valuable in the illegal market compared to regular marijuana.
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VKU/AS
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