Surat Youths arrested with Rs 15.85 Cr worth of cannabis at Mumbai airport

Surat : Four youths from Surat found themselves in serious legal trouble after a seemingly innocuous holiday in Bangkok-Thailand turned into a nightmare. Bhavik Chetankumar Prajapati (25), Dharmik Himmatbhai Makwana (22), Ronit Hareshbhai Balar (23), and Hiten Ashokbhai Kachhdiya (23), all residents of different areas in Surat, were apprehended by the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs at Mumbai airport on Sunday midnight.

The arrest followed the discovery of a staggering consignment concealed in their belongings. “In their trolley bags, we found eight double-layered plastic packets hidden under clothes,” reported a Customs official. Upon inspection, these packets contained a total of 15,849 grams of cannabis, commonly known as hybrid marijuana. Despite its illegal status in India, the estimated market value of the seized substance was a whopping Rs. 15.85 crore.

The sequence of events began innocuously enough with the youths departing for Bangkok-Thailand on February 27 and returning via an Air India flight to Mumbai. Customs officials grew suspicious during routine checks of their branded trolley bags, leading to the discovery of the illicit cargo.

The Customs Department wasted no time in apprehending the youths and presenting them before the Mumbai Sessions Court, which subsequently remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody.

Initial investigations revealed a disturbing trend where the youths claimed they had been lured into the drug smuggling operation under the guise of a free holiday. According to their statements to Customs officials, they had met a person named Virat Patel alias Sunny from Surat, who promised them a complimentary trip in exchange for delivering what they believed to be pulses and grains desperately needed in Bangkok-Thailand.

“During their stay in Bangkok-Thailand, Virat Patel’s associate ensured they enjoyed their trip at no cost,” sources disclosed. However, the situation took a sinister turn on their return journey when they were handed locked bags supposedly filled with cosmetic items for delivery in Mumbai.

Trusting the assurances of their contacts, the youths unwittingly carried the bags back with them, unaware of their illegal contents. Their naivety proved costly as they fell into a trap set by drug traffickers exploiting unsuspecting individuals for their illicit activities.

Customs Department sources highlighted a worrying trend where drug mafias increasingly target young individuals, enticing them with offers of free travel and entertainment only to coerce them into smuggling drugs on their return. “In the past three months alone, over 50 youths from South Gujarat have been implicated in narcotics-related cases,” officials revealed, underscoring the gravity of the issue.