Kerala model arrested at Mumbai airport with 11 kg marijuana hidden In luggage

A 28-year-old model and former Mrs Kerala contestant has been arrested at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after customs officials allegedly recovered more than 11 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at Rs 11.82 crore from her luggage.

The accused, Harsha Sunny, arrived in Mumbai from Bangkok on the night of June 10-11 aboard Air India flight TG-351. According to customs officials, officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) and the Customs Department became suspicious of her behaviour during routine surveillance and decided to stop her for further examination.

A search of her trolley bag allegedly led to the recovery of 12 vacuum-sealed packets containing a green substance. Officials said an on-the-spot chemical test conducted using a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) kit confirmed the substance to be high-grade hydroponic marijuana, a premium variety of cannabis cultivated using advanced growing techniques.

Following the seizure, Sunny was arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act. The recovered contraband weighed over 11 kg and is estimated to have an international market value of Rs 11.82 crore.

Sunny, who had previously participated in the Mrs Kerala 2025 pageant, was produced before a court in Mumbai's Fort area, which remanded her to judicial custody. Investigators are now trying to determine the intended destination of the drug consignment and whether it was linked to a larger trafficking network operating in Mumbai or elsewhere in the country.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over international drug-smuggling attempts through Indian airports.

ANOTHER RECENT CASE EXPOSED 5 KG OF DRUGS

In another recent case, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth around Rs 5 crore from a passenger bound for Kuala Lumpur at Chennai International Airport. The accused, identified as Sivayogeswaran Rajkumar from Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district, was intercepted shortly before boarding a flight to Malaysia.

The case has also drawn comparisons with the high-profile gold-smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao in 2025. Rao was arrested at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport after officials allegedly recovered more than 14 kg of smuggled gold from her possession. Investigators later seized cash and jewellery worth over Rs 2 crore, while the total value of the alleged smuggling operation was estimated at Rs 102 crore.

Authorities continue to investigate Harsha Sunny's case to identify possible accomplices and uncover any wider smuggling network behind the seizure.

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With inputs from PTI