Customs seizes hydroponic weed worth Rs 61 crore in a week at Mumbai airport

Mumbai, Jan 17 (PTI) Hydroponic weed valued at over Rs 61 crore, along with gold, diamonds and foreign currency, was seized from passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here in the last seven days, officials said on Saturday.

Working on inputs, the Customs department carried out an operation between January 9 and 16 against persons involved in smuggling activities, an official said.

In 16 cases, the Customs seized 61 kg of hydroponic weed worth Rs 61 crore, he said.

Customs officials recovered 3.997 kg of hydroponic weed valued at Rs 3.997 crore from life vest packets concealed under aircraft seats. Eight more cases were registered against nine flyers arriving from Bangkok, following the seizure of 29.841 kg of the drug, worth Rs 29.841 crore, he said.

In another success, seven passengers, who had arrived in Mumbai from Bangkok, were caught with 27.163 kg of hydroponic weed, valued at Rs 27.163 crore, he said.

Hydroponic weed, a potent and expensive form of ganja, is cultivated using water-based, nutrient-rich solutions instead of traditional soil methods.

Those involved in the smuggling of the weed were booked under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the official said.

Besides the NDPS cases, Customs officials also recovered 846.74 grams of 24-karat gold worth Rs 1.035 crore from six passengers in separate incidents. One passenger was also found carrying 548.4 carats of diamonds valued at Rs 31.95 lakh, while another had foreign currency in Saudi riyals equivalent to Rs 47.6 lakh.

Another case involved the seizure of 305 grams of 24-karat gold worth Rs 38.91 lakh from a passenger, he said. PTI DC NR