3 Arrested For Smuggling Hashish, Hydroponic Weed Worth ₹10 Crore From Bangkok To Pune, Mumbai

The Mumbai and Pune units of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested three men for allegedly smuggling narcotic substances like hashish and hydroponic weed valued at ₹10 crore from Bangkok, officials said on Wednesday.

"Acting on specific intelligence, officers of DRI Pune, Mumbai Zonal Unit intercepted two passengers arriving from Bangkok to Pune on Monday, May 12. On examination of their checked-in baggage, officers recovered 11 airtight pouches containing 9,864 gm of a greenish lumpy substance purported to be hydroponic weed. The substance tested positive in a field test kit," said an official.

"In a simultaneous follow-up in Mumbai, one of the receivers/distributors was apprehended. A follow-up search at his premises resulted in the recovery of 478 gm of narcotic substances, viz. hashish and hydroponic weed," he added.

The recovered 10.3 kg of narcotic substances, with an illicit market value of ₹10.3 crore, were seized, and all three persons, identified as Aryan Ram Paranjpye, Vikas Chawariya and Saurabh Bhatia, were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Further investigation is underway.