Mumbai: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Airport Customs on Thursday arrested a Punjab based man for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth nearly Rs 3 crore from Bangkok. The accused passenger informed Customs officials about his Delhi based handler who had paid for his Bangkok trip and asked him to smuggle drugs and deliver the same to a receiver in Delhi.
On the basis of specific intelligence that he might be carrying some narcotic substance, a passenger Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab was intercepted by the Customs officials after he arrived at the Mumbai airport from Bangkok on Thursday. On examination of his trolley bag, the officers found six packets containing Hydroponic Weed weighing 2979 grams, valued at Rs 2.97 crore.
Singh, in his statement to the Customs officials claimed that he works as a labourer having monthly income of Rs 18000. "On 13.04.2025, Singh had gone to Bangkok from Mumbai Airport on the instructions of his handler Ravi Singh, who is based in Delhi. Ravi had asked Singh to bring a trolley bag containing hydroponic weed (Marijuana) to Delhi from Bangkok. Ravi had instructed him to hand over the trolley bag to a person who would be meeting him at Delhi Railway station," said a Customs official.
The official further added, "Singh also said that Ravi had sponsored his boarding, lodging at Bangkok and also return ticket to Mumbai. Singh claimed that he aided and abetted in the smuggling of Hydroponic Weed for the first time. The accused also stated that he was fully aware of the consequences of smuggling of Marijuana and he has done the same for his stay at Bangkok and for his return trip. The investigations in the case are at a very preliminary stage and efforts are also being made to identify and apprehend key associates of the accused."
