Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport: Man tries to smuggle marijuana in pumpkins, held

A man was detained at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Saturday for allegedly attempting to smuggle four-kg marijuana inside two pumpkins. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Sarwan, a resident of Mangalore. Based on a tip-off from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Air Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Airport Customs intercepted Sarwan, before he was about to board a flight to Doha, Qatar.

Two pumpkins, wrapped in plastic, were found in his luggage, a customs official said. Officials unwrapped the vegetables and saw that the top had been cut and resealed with an adhesive. It was found that the pumpkins had been hollowed out and stuffed with 2 kg marijuana each, an official said. “The accused admitted that he had been paid money to ferry the pumpkins to Qatar,” he added. Sarwan has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and produced in court on Sunday, where he was remanded to the AIU’s custody until Monday.