Mumbai ‘smuggler’ held at Surat airport, over 4 kg drugs seized
On a tip-off, a police team kept watch at the airport and apprehended Zafar Khan after he arrived from Bangkok. They checked his two luggage trolleys to find eight packets of hybrid weed weighing 4035 grams, worth around Rs 1.41 crore, and foreign currency.
A 56-year-old man who allegedly smuggled goods such as mobile phones, gold and electronic gadgets across the country several times to evade customs duty was nabbed by crime branch personnel at the Surat international airport on Tuesday. Over four kg of contraband was seized from his possession, officers said.
On a tip-off, a police team kept watch at the airport and apprehended Zafar Khan after he arrived from Bangkok.
The police checked his two luggage trolleys to find eight packets of hybrid weed weighing 4035 grams, worth around Rs 1.41 crore. The teams also seized foreign currency. Forensic Science Laboratory officials examined the drugs and, after testing, identified the contraband as “hybrid weed.” Khan is a resident of Mumbra in Mumbai, who has been booked under several sections of the NDPS Act in the past.
Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said, “The accused hid the drugs in toy boxes. It is likely that from here, he was to travel to Mumbai to deliver the drug consignment to someone. The accused works as a ‘courier’ for a drug cartel and was earning around Rs 1 lakh as a commission for each trip.”
Gahlaut added, “After checking his passport, we found that in the past three years, the accused made 27 international trips, with six trips each to Dubai and Bangkok, two to other destinations in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Cambodia, Bahrain, etc. He lands at different international airports across the country while returning from such trips.”
Gahlaut added, “In June, the wife of the accused was nabbed from Bengaluru international airport and around 7 kg of hybrid weed was found in her luggage. An alert had been sounded at multiple airports across the country against Khan.”
According to sources in the Surat crime branch, upon checking his background with the Mumbai Police, it was found that Khan was facing two criminal cases registered with different police stations in Mumbai in 2012: One in connection with theft and another over a brawl.
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Police sources said Khan usually smuggled gold, mobile phones, and electronic gadgets to evade customs duty. In the past few trips, he had started smuggling hybrid weed, they added.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
