Smuggling in Shoe Soles: Pune Airport Customs Arrest Bangkok Passenger With Hashish Worth ₹13.44 Lakh
PUNE: Pune Customs officials have arrested an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok after finding cannabis extract, commonly known as hashish, worth ₹13.44 lakh concealed inside his sports shoes at Pune International Airport.
The passenger, a resident of Ulhasnagar, arrived on the evening of October 27 aboard Air India Express flight IX-291 from Bangkok. The Customs Air Intelligence Unit intercepted him based on specific intelligence inputs and passenger profiling.
Initial searches of his cabin baggage and checked-in luggage did not reveal any incriminating material. However, officers noticed that the black sports shoes he was wearing were unusually heavy and had suspiciously thick soles.
When the inner soles of both shoes were cut open, officers discovered specially constructed hollow cavities containing packets wrapped in black cloth and secured with red adhesive tape. The packets held a dark brownish-black, semi-solid, waxy substance that tested positive for cannabis extract during field testing.
According to the official Customs documentation, the seized substance weighed 381.27 grams, although some news reports have cited the quantity as 387.21 grams. The narcotics were seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The accused was produced before a judicial magistrate and remanded to judicial custody until November 7. The investigation is continuing to establish the source of the contraband and identify any larger smuggling network involved.
In a related case, Pune Customs officials had uncovered another smuggling attempt on October 20, seizing hydroponic weed worth ₹44.27 lakh concealed in false cavities inside a trolley bag.
