Mumbai, April 9: The Mumbai Airport Customs officials on Thursday arrested a 25-year-old Dongri resident for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed valued at Rs 1.66 crore from Singapore.
Passenger intercepted based on profiling
According to Customs sources, on the basis of spot profiling, one passenger, namely Mustafa Shaikh, arrived at CSMI Airport, Mumbai, from Singapore by a Singapore Airlines flight on Thursday.
The passenger was intercepted at the Arrival Hall, T-2, CSMI Airport, Mumbai. Thereafter, the officers escorted the passenger to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) CCTV room situated at the Arrival Hall of CSMI Airport.
The officers intended to carry out his personal search and examination of baggage after serving him notice under the relevant section of the NDPS Act.
Drugs concealed in trolley bag
The officers decided to examine the baggage of the passenger. The passenger was carrying an unbranded olive-coloured trolley bag as check-in baggage.
Upon opening the said trolley bag, a few clothes and two airtight transparent plastic packets were found concealed inside the cavity of the trolley bag. Each of the packets was found to contain green-coloured dry leafy substance in fruiting and flowering top form.
Upon opening the said packets, a strong and unpleasant odour was emanating from the green-coloured dry leafy substance. When questioned, the passenger admitted that the substance was “hydroponic weed”.
Thereafter, a small quantity from both packets was drawn as a sample and tested using a Narcotic Drug Field Testing Kit available in the AIU Camp Office. The samples tested positive for a substance purported to be hydroponic weed, which is a substance covered under the NDPS Act.
Seizure and ongoing investigation
The net weight of the green-coloured dry leafy substance in fruiting and flowering top form was found to be 1,668 grams, valued at Rs 1.66 crore. The same was recovered from the possession of the accused passenger, who had brought the said narcotic substance into India in a clandestine manner.
“The investigation of the case is at a very preliminary stage, and efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the smuggling of narcotic substances. We are probing who had supplied drugs to the accused and who was supposed to receive the same in Mumbai,” said a Customs officer.
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Accused remanded to custody
Advocate Arun Gupta argued for the accused in the court, after which he had been remanded to judicial custody.
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