5 women held at Mumbai airport with drugs worth Rs 10.5 crore

In the first case, Customs officials intercepted two passengers who arrived from Bangkok on Monday. The women, residents of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, were found carrying hydroponic weed collectively weighing 3.9 kg, valued at around Rs 4 crore.

“The women were promised a commission of Rs 25,000 each,” said a Customs official.

In the second case, the agency laid a trap on Sunday based on specific information and kept a close watch on passengers heading towards the green channel at CSMIA. Three women — identified as Tarannum Jahan Shahabuddin Khan, Shabana Begum Shaukat Ali, and Sharifa Haidar Mulla — were intercepted for a search.

During the search, officials found packets containing a substance which was confirmed to be marijuana after using a field testing kit.

The recovered drugs weighed a total of 6.4 kg, worth Rs 6.5 crore.

An FIR has been registered against the three women under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
During interrogation, the agency learnt that the accused were aware of the contraband as they had been promised a commission of Rs 15,000 for each trip, said a Customs official.

“The women were approached by a person living in Mumbai, and the agency is trying to trace him. They were told they would get free tickets and hotel accommodation for a trip to Bangkok, and while returning, they had to bring a parcel for which they would receive a commission,” the official added.

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