Pune Customs seizes hydroponic marijuana worth ₹3.72 crore at airport, arrests passenger

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Image used for representational purpose only. | Photo Credit: AP

Pune Customs arrested an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok and seized 10.642 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth an estimated ₹3.72 crore at Pune International Airport on November 4. The contraband was concealed in packets labelled as freeze-dried durian fruit and hidden among food items in the passenger’s check-in baggage.

According to a press note issued by Pune Customs on November 5, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) and the airport batch intercepted the passenger, who arrived on Air India Express flight IX-291, on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) evening. The interception was based on passenger profiling and suspicious findings during baggage scanning.

During a detailed examination of the trolley bag, officials discovered nine rectangular silver-coloured packets bearing the label “Freeze Dried Monthong Durian” concealed among packets of noodles. Each packet was further wrapped in two layers of vacuum-sealed black polythene.

Upon opening the packages, officers found yellowish-green dried floral material emitting a pungent odour. Preliminary tests conducted using a narcotics field-testing kit returned a positive result for marijuana, which Customs identified as hydroponic weed.

The entire consignment, weighing 10.642 kg and valued at approximately ₹3.72 crore, was seized along with the packaging materials under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The passenger was subsequently arrested and produced before a judicial magistrate, who remanded the accused to judicial custody until November 18.

Customs officials said further investigation was underway to ascertain the possible involvement of a smuggling syndicate.

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