Hydroponic weed, gold, diamonds worth Rs 45 crore seized at Mumbai airport; 12 arrested

Mumbai Customs have seized hydroponic weed, gold and diamonds, collectively valued at Rs 45 crore, that were being smuggled through the airport here and arrested 12 passengers, officials said.

The seizures were made during operations conducted between December 3 and 10 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, they said.

Based on specific information, the Customs personnel apprehended nine passengers and recovered hydroponic weed (marijuana) valued at Rs 37.26 crore from them, an official said on Wednesday.

In some cases, the contraband was hidden inside trolley bags bearing baggage tags of another flight, while in others, the narcotics were concealed inside lumps of tamarind, he said.

All these passengers, who had arrived from Bangkok on various flights, were arrested under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official said.

In another operation, Customs sleuths recovered 6 kg of suspected hydroponic weed valued at Rs 6 crore from three passengers, who had also arrived from Bangkok, and arrested them, he said.

They also seized gold valued at Rs 1.51 crore from four passengers and diamonds of Rs 87.75 lakh from another person and registered cases on charges of smuggling, the official added.