Nagpur: In a major drug bust, Mumbai Airport Customs arrested a 30-year-old man from Nagpur for allegedly smuggling 13.47 kg of hydroponic weed (cannabis) worth Rs 4.71 crore from Bangkok into India.

According to Customs officials, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted Vikas Ganorkar after he arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai, on a flight from Bangkok on Tuesday. The action was taken based on specific intelligence inputs.

During the search of his trolley bag, officers recovered 14 plastic packets containing the fruiting and flowering tops of a plant suspected to be hydroponic weed. The seized contraband weighed 13,477 grams and is covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Customs officials estimated its illicit market value at around Rs 4.71 crore.

The agency also seized the trolley bag, the accused's passport, boarding pass, baggage tag and a mobile phone as part of the investigation.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that he was aware that smuggling cannabis and other narcotic drugs into India is a punishable offence. Customs officials are now investigating the international drug supply chain to identify the source of the consignment in Bangkok and its intended recipients in India.

The seizure is being seen as another significant success for Mumbai Airport Customs in its ongoing crackdown on international drug trafficking through air routes.