Pune Customs Seizes Cannabis Extract Worth Rs 13.44 Lakh Hidden in Shoe Soles On Arrival at Airport From Bangkok
Pune, 29th October 2026: The customs officials have seized 381.27 grams of suspected cannabis extract, estimated to be worth Rs 13.44 lakh, from an Indian passenger who arrived at Pune airport from Bangkok on October 27. The substance was concealed in specially designed cavities inside the soles of his sports shoes, officials said.
The passenger arrived at Pune International Airport in Lohegaon aboard Air India Express flight IX-291. Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit intercepted him based on intelligence inputs and passenger profiling, according to Pune Customs.
Although a search of his cabin and checked baggage yielded no contraband, officers became suspicious after noticing that the black sports shoes he was wearing had unusually thick soles and appeared heavier than normal.
On cutting open the inner soles of both shoes, officers found specially fabricated cavities containing packets wrapped in black cloth and secured with red adhesive tape. The packets contained a dark brownish-black, semi-solid waxy substance that tested positive for cannabis extract, suspected to be hashish or marijuana extract, during a field test.
The substance was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was arrested and produced before a judicial magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody until November 7.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
