By Mewati Sitaram
Officers of the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone–III, have seized narcotics and other contraband worth over Rs 64 crore during intensified checks carried out between December 18 and December 22, 2025, officials said.
Based on passenger profiling, Customs officers detected 35.045 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at around Rs 35.04 crore in the illicit market, in three separate cases. The contraband was recovered from five passengers who had arrived from Bangkok on different flights. All the accused were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In another case, 81 grams of amphetamines, valued at Rs 16.20 lakh, were seized from a passenger who arrived from Muscat on Air India Express flight IX-236 on December 18. The passenger was also arrested under the NDPS Act.
Acting on specific intelligence, Customs officials further intercepted 13.003 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately Rs 13 crore, in two cases involving two passengers arriving from Bangkok on various flights. The accused were taken into custody under the NDPS Act.
Officials said the smugglers adopted innovative methods to evade detection, concealing hydroponic weed inside shampoo bottles and tin snack boxes.
Apart from drug seizures, Customs also booked two gold smuggling cases, recovering 283 grams of diamond-studded gold jewellery valued at Rs 35.18 lakh from two passengers. In another case, 6.643 kg of polished semi-precious stones, worth Rs 24.91 lakh, were seized from one passenger.
Additionally, in two cases, Customs seized foreign currency equivalent to Rs 45.26 lakh from two passengers who were departing for Fujairah on IndiGo flight 6E-1501 on December 22, 2025.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
