A 29-year-old woman, employed as a relationship manager at a private bank and a runner-up in a beauty pageant last year, was arrested early Thursday morning by customs authorities at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. She is accused of smuggling 11.824 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis, valued at Rs 11.82 crore in the illicit market, from Bangkok to India.
Details of the Arrest
The accused, identified as Harsha Sunny, was intercepted around 4 am upon her arrival from Bangkok. Customs officials, acting on passenger profiling intelligence, suspected she might be carrying contraband. A personal search was conducted before a gazetted officer under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, but no drugs were found on her person. However, a thorough examination of her baggage revealed 12 vacuum-sealed packets concealed inside a trolley bag. The packets contained green flowering and fruiting tops of the cannabis plant, suspected to be hydroponic weed. Field testing using an NDPS kit confirmed the substance as cannabis.
Legal Proceedings
The seized hydroponic weed has an estimated street value of Rs 11.82 crore. Sunny was arrested under the NDPS Act and produced before a special NDPS court, which remanded her to judicial custody. Investigators informed the court that the probe is in its preliminary stages, with efforts underway to identify other individuals linked to the smuggling network.
Defense Argument
Advocate Prabhakar Tripathi, representing Sunny, argued that his client was unaware of the bag's contents. He described the case as a classic instance of an unsuspecting traveler being exploited by organized traffickers. According to Tripathi, Sunny had traveled to Bangkok for tourism and to explore professional opportunities in the nail-art and modeling sectors. A person she befriended during the trip allegedly gained her confidence and persuaded her to carry the bag to India. Tripathi emphasized that Sunny consistently maintains she had no knowledge of any illegal items in the bag.
The case highlights the growing concern of drug trafficking via international routes, with authorities remaining vigilant at entry points. Customs officials have reiterated their commitment to intercepting such contraband and bringing perpetrators to justice.
