2 fliers arriving from Bangkok with weed, one recipient arrested

Mumbai's DRI seized 39.2 kg of hydroponic cannabis from two passengers arriving from Thailand and arrested three individuals linked to the contraband.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday seized 39.2 kilograms of hydroponic weed (cannabis) allegedly from two Indian passengers who arrived on a flight from Thailand at the Mumbai international airport.

A total of 39.2 kilograms of the hydroponic weed, 19.6 kilograms from each passenger, were recovered from their check-in baggage

Hydroponic weed refers to the variety grown in nutrient/mineral-rich water, without soil. The agency arrested the two passengers and one of their associates, who was allegedly one of the supposed receivers of the contraband, agency officials said on Sunday.

Based on specific intelligence, the DRI on Saturday intercepted two passengers arriving from Bangkok at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. When the officials examined the passengers’ belongings, they found 39 packets containing “greenish substance in lumpy form with a pungent smell” in the check-in baggage, an agency source said.

The substance tested positive for cannabis, the source said. A total of 39.2 kilograms of the hydroponic weed, 19.6 kilograms from each passenger, were recovered. In a subsequent follow-up operation, one of the suspected recipients was also apprehended by the DRI.

The agency seized the hydroponic weed and arrested three persons as per the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The DRI is now investigating to trace the accused persons’ accomplices, the source said.