Mumbai Airport: Hydroponic cannabis valued at over Rs 48 crore is seized by Customs after they bust a significant drug smuggling network
Mumbai Airport: Between December 18 and December 22, 2025, Mumbai Customs officers from the Airport Commissionerate, Customs Zone-III, discovered many instances of narcotics trafficking, gold smuggling, and foreign exchange breaches at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Five travelers in three different occasions had a total of 35.045 kg of suspected narcotic material—identified as hydroponic weed—seized by customs agents based on passenger profiling. Passengers traveling from Bangkok on separate aircraft were found to have the contraband, which was estimated to be worth Rs 35.045 crore on the illegal international market. In accordance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, all of the defendants were taken into custody.
In a another instance, on December 18, 2025, Customs officers confiscated 81 grams of amphetamines worth Rs 16.20 lakh from a traveler arriving from Muscat on Air India Express aircraft IX-236. The NDPS Act also led to the passenger’s detention.
Customs agents also found 13.003 kg of suspected hydroponic marijuana, valued at over Rs 13.003 crore, from two passengers in two different incidents after acting on specific intelligence tips. These travelers were detained in accordance with the NDPS Act after arriving from Bangkok on separate planes.
According to investigations, the accused tried to smuggle the hydroponic marijuana by hiding it within tin snack boxes and shampoo bottles to avoid being caught by customs officers.
In addition to NDPS-related charges, Mumbai Customs also recorded two gold smuggling incidents during that time. Two passengers were found to have 283 grams of diamond-studded gold jewelry worth Rs 35.18 lakh. In a another instance, a passenger was found in possession of 6,643 grams of polished semi-precious stones valued at Rs 24.91 lakh.
Customs officers also filed two complaints about the confiscation of foreign money worth Rs 45.26 lakh from two passengers on IndiGo aircraft 6E-1501 on December 22, 2025, as they attempted to board the journey from Mumbai to Fujairah.