The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Airport Customs arrested a 54-year-old man, Faisal Koyamadakath, from Kerala on Wednesday for allegedly smuggling Hydroponic Weed worth Rs4 crore into India from Bangkok. The drug was cleverly concealed in food items he carried with him.
According to Customs sources, AIU officers intercepted Koyamadakath on Tuesday night as he arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, aboard a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok. The officers had received specific intelligence that he might be carrying contraband.
Upon searching his baggage, they discovered a trolley bag stuffed with clothes, personal belongings, and boxes of food items. Inside the food boxes, officers found 11 vacuum-sealed packets containing a greenish dry leafy substance. Additional packets were found in his backpack, containing the same substance.
Customs officers tested the substance, which confirmed it was Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana), a narcotic covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The Hydroponic Weed, valued at Rs4 crore, was seized, and Koyamadakath was arrested on the reasonable belief that he was smuggling the drug into India.
In his statement, Faisal admitted he was aware of the severe penalties for smuggling drugs into India. However, he revealed that he had accepted the offer because it promised substantial financial gain.