Pune Customs Seizes ₹3.72 Crore Worth of Hydroponic Marijuana, Arrests Passenger

Pune Customs seized 10.642 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at about ₹3.72 crore and arrested an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok at Pune International Airport on November 4, 2026. The drugs were hidden in nine silver‑coloured packets labelled "Freeze Dried Monthong Durian" and tucked among noodles in the traveller’s check‑in trolley bag. Officers from the Air Intelligence Unit and the airport batch flagged the passenger after profiling and spotting irregularities during X‑ray scanning of the baggage. Each packet was double‑wrapped in black vacuum‑sealed polythene, and when opened they revealed yellow‑green dried floral material with a strong odour. A field‑testing kit gave a positive result for marijuana, which customs identified as hydroponic weed. The entire consignment was confiscated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was taken into custody, presented before a judicial magistrate and remanded until November 18. Customs officials said a probe is ongoing to determine whether a smuggling syndicate was involved.

Context

Seizures of high‑value hydroponic cannabis are rare in India, and customs uses passenger profiling and advanced scanning to catch such attempts. The NDPS Act empowers authorities to seize and prosecute large‑scale drug trafficking cases.