Mumbai Customs seize hydroponic weed worth Rs 20 crore at airport

Mumbai Customs officials have seized hydroponic weed collectively valued at nearly Rs 20 crore in two separate cases at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai and arrested three passengers officials said on Wednesday reported the PTIThe officials said that the seizures were made following the operations conducted on Monday and TuesdayAccording to the Mumbai Customs officials in one of the operation a passenger who had come from Bangkok was apprehended with 11922 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana valued at about Rs 1192 croreIn an another operation Customs officials intercepted two passengers arriving from Hong Kong During examination of their baggage they recovered 7864 kilograms of hydroponic weed valued at approximately Rs 786 crore he said according to the PTIThe narcotic substance was found concealed in the checkedin trolley bags of the passengersHydroponic weed a potent and expensive form of ganja is cultivated using waterbased nutrientrich solutions instead of traditional soil methods the news agency reportedMeanwhile earlier this month the Customs officials had said that it had seized drugs and rescued several wild animals at Mumbai airportIt said that several passengers were held for smuggling them into the country from abroadAn official statement said the Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport CSMIA under Mumbai Customs Zone III intercepted multiple passengers attempting to smuggle narcotics and exotic wildlife into India between October 8 and 11A total of seven narcotics cases and one wildlife smuggling case were detected leading to the arrest of several individuals under the NDPS Act 1985 and the Customs Act 1962 read with the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 its saidThe statement further stated that the customs officials recovered a total of approximately 50 kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed Marijuana with an estimated illicit market value of over Rs 44 crores from various international passengers arriving from Phuket Bangkok and Kuala LumpurIn the first case 11519 kg was seized from a passenger arriving from Phuket the seizure amounts to Rs 11519 crore In an another case9842 kg of drugs smuggled from Bangkok were seized it values Rs 9842 croreIn other cases the officials seized 2017 kg from 2 passengers arriving in city from Phuket the drugs amounted to Rs 2017 crore 2003 kg drugs worth Rs 2003 crore were seized from passenger arrived from Bangkok a passenger who arrived from Kuala Lumpur was found in possession of drugs worth Rs 887 croreIn two other cases passengers were found with drugs worth Rs 8 crore and Rs 1761 crore three passengers were held in the matter they had arrived from Bangkok and Phuket respectively officials saidIn all these cases the drugs were carefully concealed in checkedin trolley bags and arrests were made as per the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 said an officialMeanwhile in a separate case Customs officials intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok and recovered a shocking haul of live exotic wildlife concealed inside luggageThe seizure included 17 Green iguanas 11 bearded dragons 7 honduran milk snakes 3 rainbow boas 2 aldabra giant tortoises juveniles 3 bluetongued skinks and more the officials said adding that 5 pacman frogs 2 tarantulas and a common cuscus were also seizedThe species rescued are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and the passenger was arrested accordingly the officials said