20 October,2024 02:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The marijuana was seized by Mumbai Customs officials/ Sourced Photo
On Saturday, officials at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport, Zone-III, apprehended a traveller arriving from Bangkok and found 8,909 grams of suspected marijuana, also known as ganja. The contraband, worth almost Rs 8 crores on the illicit market, was hidden in boxes containing toys and food items found in the passenger's luggage.
"On Oct 19, 2024, CSMIA, Mumbai, made a seizure of NDPS goods purported to be Ganja (Marijuana) having a net weight of 8.909 kg with an approx illicit market value of Rs 8 Cr. The contraband was concealed in the boxes containing foodstuff and toys kept in the baggage of the passenger," the Customs said in their statement.
The seizure was based on Mumbai Customs authorities' profiling efforts. The passenger will now face legal action under both the Customs Act of 1962 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985. Investigations into the situation are underway.
Mumbai customs officers reported a massive crackdown on smuggling operations at the city's airport, capturing around 2.427 kg of gold valued at Rs 1.70 crores, as well as electronic items such as cellphones for Rs 42.14 lakh. According to the news agency ANI, the operation lasted from October 16 to 18. It involved seven individual cases.
Customs officials at Mumbai International Airport have increased efforts to combat smuggling, particularly with high-value commodities. They are actively monitoring border security and investigating the origins of the contraband.
According to officials, the illegal products were carefully hidden in a variety of locations, including travellers' luggage, a garbage at the international airport departure area, and even within undergarments.
In one prominent case, investigators from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) discovered two pieces of 24-carat gold dust hidden in wax, totalling around 1,000 grammes and worth Rs 72.54 lakh. The recovery occurred during a regular examination at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI).
In another occasion, six people were apprehended, and various smuggled items were confiscated, including 22-carat gold melted bars, 24-carat gold dust in wax form (two pieces), 18-carat jewellery, and 24-carat gold dust in Rexine. The total preliminary weight of these gold pieces was 1.427 kilogramme, worth Rs 97.72 lakh. Along with the gold, customs agents seized 36 high-end iPhones, including the latest iPhone 16 Pro models.
The passengers in these incidents arrived from Kenya, Jeddah, Dubai, and Ra's al-Khaimah. The smuggled goods were hidden in their baggage, inside their undergarments, through body concealment methods, and even inside body cavities.
Further details from Mumbai customs revealed that on the night of October 15-16, contraband valued at Rs 1.25 crores was seized in two separate incidents at the Mumbai airport. The items were recovered from inner garments and body concealment. In these cases, a private airport staff member and a transit passenger were arrested for their involvement in smuggling.
Mumbai customs continues its vigilance and has intensified efforts to clamp down on such illegal activities at the airport.
