At Mumbai airport, sharp drop in gold smuggling cases, rise in narcotics seizures | Mumbai News

The Indian Government had cut gold import duty from 15% to 6% in the Union Budget on July 23, 2024, with the revised rate taking effect from July 24, 2024 one of the sharpest reductions in a decade. However, in May 2026, the government reversed that cut and raised the effective import duty back to 15% amid concerns over the trade deficit and foreign exchange outflows. The Gold smuggling numbers are till end of March 2026 and not reflective of trends after the rehike of the import duty.

In stark contrast, drug seizures under the NDPS Act have surged drastically. From just 14 cases involving 24 kg of contraband worth Rs 186 crore in 2022-23, airport customs recorded 235 cases involving 1,395 kg of contraband worth Rs 1,512 crore in 2025-26 till February.

While speaking with senior IRS officer posted in custom department said, “The organised crime syndicates who were allegedly involved in gold smuggling have increasingly shifted towards narcotics trafficking, especially hydroponic cannabis, as gold smuggling became less lucrative”. “The contraband, largely sourced from Thailand, is often routed through transit hubs such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Colombo before reaching Mumbai.

However, due to recent increase in rate of duty on gold from 6% to 15 % chances of gold smuggling has increased” added official.

The customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized only 25 kg of contraband in nine cases in 2023-24. The number rose to 57 cases in 2024-25 before jumping nearly four-fold in 2025-26, when officials seized more than 1,395 kg of hydroponic cannabis in 235 cases.

Officials linked the spike in cannabis smuggling to Thailand’s 2022 decision to decriminalise cannabis and remove most forms of the drug from its narcotics list, triggering a boom in cannabis businesses. Though Thailand tightened regulations again in June 2025 under the Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) Act, customs officials said smuggling networks continue to exploit international passenger and cargo routes.

To counter the rise in smuggling, customs authorities have strengthened surveillance using the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), which flags high-risk travellers based on travel behaviour and booking patterns.

Frequent flyers, last-minute travellers, passengers using unusual transit routes and those with prior records are subjected to enhanced scrutiny.

Another senior official who participated in several operation said, “The smugglers are bing nabbed based on spot profiling, behavioural analysis, X-ray scans and physical inspection of baggage, electronic devices, shoes and even aircraft compartments are routinely used to detect concealed contraband. Intelligence inputs from agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Narcotics Control Bureau are also being used to track organised smuggling networks”.

Customs officials said hydroponic weed has emerged as a preferred narcotic because traffickers view it as a lower-risk alternative to drugs such as heroin or cocaine, which attract harsher punishment under the NDPS Act. The cannabis variant, cultivated using nutrient-rich water instead of soil, contains significantly higher THC levels and commands premium prices in metropolitan markets such as Mumbai.

Officials also flagged sophisticated gold smuggling techniques, including the use of gold paste and powdered gold mixed with wax to evade metal detectors and X-ray scanners.