Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials busted two major smuggling attempts at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai, over the weekend, arresting seven persons and seizing foreign currency, diamonds and narcotic drugs collectively worth over ₹15 crore.
Case 1:
The DRI officials, on Saturday, March 14, seized foreign currency and diamonds collectively valued at around ₹3 crore. Six individuals — including four carriers, a handler and a suspected hawala operator — were arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on specific intelligence, officials intercepted four passengers who were about to board international flights. During a detailed examination of their baggage, officers recovered foreign currency comprising US dollars and pound sterling in various denominations. The currency had been concealed in specially created cavities inside handbags. The passengers failed to produce valid documents declaring the foreign currency.
Further searches led to the recovery of 53 small pouches containing diamonds worth approximately ₹1.10 crore hidden inside the passengers’ baggage. The recovered currency and diamonds were seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Officials said further investigations are underway to trace the larger network involved in the smuggling attempt and to dismantle the alleged nexus between smugglers and hawala operators.
Case 2:
On Sunday, March 15, Mumbai Airport Customs officials arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly smuggling narcotics worth ₹12.68 crore from Bangkok.
According to Customs sources, the accused — identified as Noushad Olappulan, a resident of Kerala — was intercepted based on spot profiling after he arrived in Mumbai on a flight from Bangkok.
During the examination of his baggage, officials initially found clothes inside the bag. However, after removing the garments, they discovered 12 packets containing a green-coloured dry leafy substance in lump form. The substance tested positive for narcotics and is suspected to be hydroponic weed, a drug covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Officials recovered and seized a total of 12,688 grams of hydroponic weed valued at ₹12.68 crore.
During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted to concealing the narcotic substance in his baggage and transporting it in exchange for quick money.
Officials said the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and efforts are underway to identify the suppliers in Bangkok as well as the intended recipients in Mumbai.
According to a recent DRI report, policy changes permitting cannabis cultivation and sale in Thailand have increased accessibility, creating new opportunities for drug traffickers. Authorities have observed a rise in cases of hydroponic weed being smuggled into India through airports and courier routes, often concealed in vacuum-sealed packets.