The Air Intelligence Unit of Airport Customs at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport arrested 27-year-old Karnataka resident Sheikh Mohammed Shimman for allegedly smuggling premium-grade hydroponic weed from Bangkok into India.[1] Shimman was apprehended in the early hours of Wednesday after customs officials identified him through spot profiling.[1] Senior customs authorities said he was intercepted at approximately 12:10 am near the exit gate of the international arrival hall.[1] Advocates Arun Gupta and Ashish Singh argued for the accused in court, after which he was granted bail.[1]
Acting on suspicion, officers subjected him to a baggage examination and found a concealed airtight pouch stashed alongside clothes inside his luggage.[1] The pouch held 845 grams of high-quality hydroponic weed regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.[1]
During interrogation, Shimman confessed to the crime and admitted he was fully aware of the legal consequences.[1] He said he knew smuggling ganja or hydroponic weed into India attracts stringent punishment but did it to earn quick and easy money.[1] Customs officials placed Shimman under arrest and are probing deeper into the international supply chain.[1] Authorities suspect that he is part of a larger, well-entrenched drug trafficking syndicate operating across borders.[1] A customs officer said the preliminary investigation and the accused statement disclose other unidentified persons and that efforts are under way to identify and apprehend his associates and key players.[1]
