In a major crackdown, Customs officials at Mumbai International Airport have arrested a passenger with hydroponic ganja worth approximately ₹12.68 crore. According to officials, the accused has been identified as Naushad Olappullan, who hails from Kerala and had come to India from Bangkok.
Customs officials said the suspected passenger was stopped on the basis of spot profiling on Sunday. During the investigation his belongings were searched. In the bag, 12 packets hidden under the clothes were recovered, which contained green colored dry leafy substance.
During investigation, this substance was found to be hydroponic weed, which comes under the category of narcotic drugs and is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
More than 12.6 kg of drugs recovered
According to officials, a total of 12,688 grams of hydroponic weed has been seized, whose estimated value in the international market is said to be around ₹12.68 crore. The Customs Department arrested the accused after the recovery.
During interrogation, the accused admitted that he had not declared the drugs and had brought them hidden in his luggage. He also told that he was doing this work to earn quick money in return for this smuggling.
According to customs officials, the investigation into the matter is still in the initial stage. The investigating agencies are trying to find out who gave these drugs to the accused in Bangkok and to whom it was to be delivered in Mumbai. Efforts are also underway to identify and arrest other possible associates involved in this smuggling.
Smuggling incidents increased from Thailand:
Recently, a report by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) also said that after the policy changes related to the cultivation and sale of cannabis in Thailand, there has been an increase in cases of smuggling of hydroponic weed from there to India. According to reports, smugglers usually smuggle drugs in vacuum-sealed packets through passengers coming to India from Bangkok and try to smuggle them out of airports by hiding them among clothes or other luggage.
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