Surat— A man working as a “carrier” for an international drug trafficking cartel was arrested at Surat International Airport with 4 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja, commonly known as hydro weed, worth ₹1.41 crore in the illicit market, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Jafar Mobilewala, was intercepted following a specific tip-off that he was flying from Bangkok to Surat with a narcotics consignment. A coordinated operation involving the Surat City Crime Branch, Customs, and CISF officials was launched. He was detained shortly after his flight landed at 7:40 pm on November 17.
A search of his check-in trolley bag led to the recovery of 4.03 kg of hydro weed, police said. A preliminary probe revealed that Mobilewala has long worked as a courier for an international drug network.
According to the police release, the Mumbai resident has previously smuggled gold, e-cigarettes, mobile phones and laptops into India. Investigators said he regularly travelled abroad with his wife, Bushra Begum, to deliver illegal consignments, earning commissions between ₹25,000 and ₹1 lakh per trip. His wife was arrested at Bengaluru airport in June for allegedly carrying 7 kg of hydro weed from Bangkok.
Police noted that hydro weed is cultivated using hydroponic techniques, which allow precise control over temperature, nutrients, humidity and lighting. This results in cannabis with significantly higher THC content and much higher street value.
Mobilewala often concealed contraband in cigarette and tobacco boxes wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and foil to bypass baggage scanners. His travel history shows multiple visits to Dubai and Bangladesh (six times each), Thailand and Oman (twice each), and single trips to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Bahrain.
A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, including sections related to possession, smuggling and criminal conspiracy, has been registered. Police said he also faces two earlier criminal cases in Mumbai involving theft, assault and intimidation.
