Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 11: In a massive crackdown on international smuggling, Mumbai Customs seized hydroponic weed, gold and diamonds worth a staggering Rs 45 crore at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, arresting 12 passengers in a series of operations carried out between December 3 and 10, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs teams intercepted nine passengers arriving from Bangkok and recovered premium-grade hydroponic marijuana valued at Rs 37.26 crore. Officers revealed that the smugglers had used ingenious methods—stuffing the narcotics inside trolley bags tagged for different flights and even concealing them inside lumps of tamarind.

All nine travellers were taken into custody under the NDPS Act, officials said.

In a separate operation, authorities detained three more Bangkok arrivals, recovering 6 kg of hydroponic weed worth Rs 6 crore. These individuals too were placed under arrest.

The crackdown did not stop there. Customs also seized gold valued at Rs 1.51 crore from four passengers, and diamonds worth Rs 87.75 lakh from another flyer, booking all of them for attempted smuggling.

With back-to-back interceptions, Mumbai Customs has yet again tightened its grip on smuggling routes frequently exploited through international passenger traffic.