DRI Seizes Over 108 Kg of Hydroponic Weed in Pan-India Operations

PTI, September 16, 2025, New Delhi :  The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday said it has seized 108.67 kg of hydroponic weed in separate pan-India operations in the last 20 days.

As part of the ongoing pan-India 'Operation Weed Out', DRI has seized 39.2 kg of hydroponic weed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, on September 13–14, 2025, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Three persons have been arrested in a coordinated operation, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, it said.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted two Indian nationals arriving from Bangkok, it said.

"Thorough examination of their checked-in baggage led to the recovery of 39 packets weighing 39.2 kg of hydroponic cannabis. A swift follow-up action resulted in the arrest of the intended recipient," it said.

In another case, based on specific intelligence, the officers of DRI seized 7.8 kg (gross weight) of hydroponic weed being smuggled from Bangkok, Thailand, to Mumbai and arrested two passengers under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, it said.

DRI has, separately, made seizures of 61.67 kg of hydroponic weed being smuggled from Bangkok into different parts of India, including Jaipur, Lucknow, and Kolkata, during the period from August 26 to September 12, 2025, it said.

Earlier, DRI had seized a total of 72.024 kg of hydroponic weed worth around Rs 72 crore along with illegal proceeds of Rs 1.02 crore as part of a pan-India operation on August 20–21, 2025, and arrested five persons, including financiers and a mastermind, under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, it added.