Mumbai: Customs department arrests three smuggling Rs 8 crore worth marijuana from Bangkok
Since marijuana's maximum personal quantity is specified as 1000 grams, in both the cases, customs officials have pressed charges of smuggling of commercial quantities
The passengers had concealed the contraband in their clothes stuffed in trolley bags (Representational/Express Archive) Customs department officials of Mumbai airport have arrested three passengers in two operations at the city airport while they were smuggling hydroponic marijuana worth Rs 8.12 crore from Bangkok on Monday. The passengers had concealed the contraband in their clothes stuffed in trolley bags.
According to the customs sources, the said operations took place in the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday.
In the first operation, officials intercepted one Salman Shaikh, 24, who had arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport from Bangkok via a Thai Airways flight.
His personal searches did not yield anything, but when his luggage was examined, 10 packets were found concealed in between his clothes in his trolley bag. The packets contained 4.98 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana suspected to be worth Rs 4.98 crore in the illicit market, the source said.
Similarly, two passengers Bipinkumar Patel, 38 ,and Nileshbhai Donda, 36, were intercepted based on specific intelligence after they arrived from Bangkok in an Air India flight on Monday.
On checking the trolley bag of Patel, packets containing 3.14 kilograms of hydroponic Weed marijuana were seized. The estimated value of the contraband is Rs 3.15 crore in the illicit market, another source said.
Originally hailing from Surat, Parel is a garment seller and was supposed to get Rs 30,000 for the carrier’s job. While Donda was given the job of keeping an eye on Patel, by their handler.
All three accused have been arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Since marijuana’s maximum personal quantity is specified as 1000 grams, in both the cases, customs officials have pressed charges of smuggling of commercial quantities of narcotics which attracts stringent punishment once convicted.
On Tuesday, the accused were produced before the court. Advocate Ashish Singh, who represented the three in the court, said his clients have no involvement in the smuggling. The court sent all three accused to judicial custody.
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