Mumbai Airport Customs Arrests Two Men With 1.9 kg Hydroponic Weed
Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai arrested two men on August 10, 2026, for allegedly attempting to smuggle hydroponic weed after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. The arrested duo, identified as Santacruz resident A.H. Modiwala and Khar resident M.M. Mansoori, were intercepted by the Air Intelligence Unit.
Acting on specific information that suspected passengers on the Bangkok flight might be carrying contraband, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit stopped both travellers upon their arrival at the Mumbai airport. During initial questioning, officers asked whether the two were travelling together, which both passengers confirmed. They informed officials that they were childhood friends who had travelled to Bangkok and stayed together during their trip.
Customs officers then took up their trolley bags for detailed physical examination. While the luggage initially appeared to contain standard travel belongings such as clothes, food items, and personal effects, a deeper inspection uncovered four packets concealed within cavities built inside the trolley bags.
The four recovered packets contained hydroponic weed weighing a combined total of 1,923 grams. Following the recovery and seizure of the contraband, Customs authorities recorded the formal statements of both accused individuals.
According to Customs sources, both Modiwala and Mansoori allegedly admitted to having full knowledge of the possession, concealment, non-declaration, recovery, and seizure of the illegal drugs from their baggage. They also reportedly admitted knowing that smuggling hydroponic weed and other illegal narcotics into India attracts stringent punishment under Indian law.
Explaining their motive to investigators, the two men claimed they agreed to carry the illegal substances in return for the lure of a free foreign trip to Bangkok allegedly offered to them by a handler.
Customs officials indicated that the investigation into the smuggling operation remains at a preliminary stage as authorities attempt to trace the handler and other individuals connected to the network. A Customs officer confirmed that preliminary inquiries disclose the involvement of other persons who are yet to be traced, adding that efforts are being made to identify and apprehend key associates of the accused.
