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 PTI.

The officials said that the seizures were made following the operations conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the Mumbai Customs officials, in one of the operation, a passenger, who had come from Bangkok, was apprehended with 11.922 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, valued at about Rs 11.92 crore.

In an another operation, Customs officials intercepted two passengers arriving from Hong Kong. During examination of their baggage, they recovered 7.864 kilograms of hydroponic weed, valued at approximately Rs 7.86 crore, he said, according to the PTI.

The narcotic substance was found concealed in the checked-in trolley bags of the passengers.

Hydroponic weed, a potent and expensive form of ganja, is cultivated using water-based, nutrient-rich solutions instead of traditional soil methods, the news agency reported.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Customs officials had said that it had seized drugs and rescued several wild animals at Mumbai airport.

It said that several passengers were held for smuggling them into the country from abroad.

An 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 11.

A 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 said.

The 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 Lumpur.

In the first case 11.519 kg was seized from a passenger arriving from Phuket the seizure amounts to Rs 11.519 crore. In an another case, 9.842 kg of drugs smuggled from Bangkok were seized, it values Rs 9.842 crore.

In other cases, the officials seized 2.017 kg from 2 passengers arriving in city from Phuket, the drugs amounted to Rs 2.017 crore, 2.003 kg drugs worth Rs 2.003 crore were seized from passenger arrived from Bangkok, a passenger who arrived from Kuala Lumpur was found in possession of drugs worth Rs 8.87 crore.

In two other cases passengers were found with drugs worth Rs 8 crore and Rs 1.761 crore, three passengers were held in the matter, they had arrived from Bangkok and Phuket respectively, officials said.

“In all these cases, the drugs were carefully concealed in checked-in trolley bags, and arrests were made as per the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985,” said an official.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Customs officials intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok and recovered a shocking haul of live exotic wildlife concealed inside luggage.

The seizure included, 17 Green iguanas, 11 bearded dragons, 7 honduran milk snakes, 3 rainbow boas, 2 aldabra giant tortoises (juveniles), 3 blue-tongued skinks, and more, the officials said, adding that 5 pacman frogs, 2 tarantulas, and a common cuscus were also seized.

The species rescued are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the passenger was arrested accordingly, the officials said.

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