Mumbai, Jul 30 (PTI) The customs department has seized suspected hydroponic weed worth Rs 8 crore after arresting four passengers arriving from Thailand in separate cases at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday.

According to the official, in the first case, three passengers were intercepted after they arrived from Bangkok on Tuesday. During the examination of their baggage, Customs personnel recovered 1.99 kg of suspected hydroponic weed (marijuana) with an illicit market value of around Rs 2 crore.

The narcotic substance was concealed inside vacuum sealed black and transparent plastic packets kept inside the trolley bag carried by the passengers, he informed.

In the second case the same day, a passenger arriving from the Thailand capital was intercepted and during the examination of his baggage, Customs personnel recovered 6.022 kg of suspected hydroponic weed with an illicit market value of about Rs 6 crore.

The drug was cleverly concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passenger, said the official.

All four passengers were arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Hydroponic weed, a potent form of marijuana, is cultivated using water-based, nutrient-rich solutions instead of traditional soil methods. PTI ZA RSY

NDPS enforcement: hydroponic marijuana seized on arrival leads to multiple arrests and criminal booking under NDPS Act Customs intercepted arriving passengers from Thailand and recovered vacuum sealed and concealed packages of suspected hydroponic marijuana during baggage examinations, seizing multiple consignments and assessing illicit market value. All individuals were arrested and booked under the NDPS Act, with seizures recorded as narcotics contraventions and subject to further investigation.