Hydroponic Marijuana Worth Rs 26.8 Crore Seized at Pune Airport; One Arrested
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 29th March 2026: Officials of the Pune Customs Department have seized a large consignment of hydroponic marijuana valued at approximately ₹26.80 crore at Pune International Airport. The seizure was made on March 26 at the Air Cargo Complex following the scanning and inspection of an import shipment that had arrived from Thailand.
According to customs officials, the consignment was declared as food items of Chinese origin and described as “Mandarin orange sacs.” The goods were packed in white thermocol boxes and had arrived at the Air Cargo facility of Pune Customs.
During routine scanning of the consignment at the Air Cargo premises, officers noticed that the images of the packages did not appear organic in nature, raising suspicion. Acting on this observation, customs officials decided to open one of the boxes for a physical inspection.
Upon opening the box, officers found sealed tin cans inside. When the cans were opened, they initially appeared to contain a salt-like white grainy powder. However, when the powder was removed, officers discovered vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packets hidden within the cans.
Further examination revealed that the packets contained hydroponic marijuana (cannabis). Following this discovery, the entire consignment was opened and examined by customs officials.
In total, authorities recovered 76.58 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana from the shipment. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth around ₹26.80 crore in the Indian illicit market.
Customs officials immediately launched a search operation in connection with the case. One accused has been arrested so far, and further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the smuggling network.
The seizure is considered one of the major drug interceptions by Pune Customs in recent times.
