Mumbai: A couple from Navi Mumbai has been arrested by the Customs Department at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth Rs 5.45 crore from Colombo. The accused, identified as Mohammed Saud Siddiqui (29) and his wife Sana Siddiqui (27), were detained by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) after a tip-off about a suspicious trolley bag they were carrying.
Officials said that when the couple’s baggage was checked, three airtight packets were found hidden inside. On testing the contents, officers confirmed the packets contained five kilograms of banned hydroponic marijuana, a high-grade variant of cannabis.
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However, the couple has claimed innocence, stating they were victims of a scam. While presenting their case in court, the Siddiquis said they had received an offer of a free trip to Colombo through social media, according to a report by Loksatta.
Believing it to be genuine, they accepted the offer, completed visa formalities, and flew to Sri Lanka. On their return, the person who had arranged the trip gave them a parcel of chocolates to deliver in Mumbai. They alleged they were unaware that the parcel contained drugs.
Their lawyer, Advocate Sunil Tiwari, told the court that the couple had been trapped in a fabricated case and had no knowledge of the contents of the parcel. “An unknown person used social media to lure them with a free holiday and made them unwilling carriers,” he said.
The Customs Department has booked the couple under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They were produced before a local court on Monday and have been remanded in judicial custody until October 28 while investigations continue.
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