Pune: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Pune Customs on Thursday evening intercepted a 33-year-old woman at the airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle cannabis extract, commonly known as hashish. The contraband, found in a semi-solid paste form, is valued at approximately Rs1 crore in the illicit market.Customs authorities stated that the passenger, a resident of Bengaluru, had arrived in Pune from Bangkok on an Air India Express flight (IX-241), which landed at around 5:15 PM.“This operation was based on behavioural profiling, which led to a suspicious check-in baggage screening. Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers intercepted the woman, and a thorough examination of her baggage unearthed a novel modus operandi,” a customs official told TOI.The passenger attempted to camouflage the narcotic extracts by packing them inside branded retail cosmetic containers to mimic ordinary personal care products and evade detection. A waxy, semi-solid substance emitting a pungent odour was found concealed inside three commercial cosmetic jars—two masquerading as “rice & yolk hair treatment” and one as a “body scrub”.A preliminary test conducted using a narcotic drug field testing kit yielded a positive result for cannabis. The entire recovered contraband, weighing 1.243 kg and confirmed to be cannabis extract (hashish), was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger has been arrested, and further investigation is underway, officials said.Customs sources revealed that preliminary inquiries indicated a high demand for such contraband in Pune, keeping enforcement agencies on high alert. Previously, the smuggling of hydroponic weed from Thailand had become highly prevalent, though customs authorities managed to curb the influx through heightened surveillance. The last major narcotics interception at the airport occurred in April this year.
