28 June,2025 10:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
The two Indonesian nationals and were staying at a hotel located in Jogeshwari area of Mumbai, an official said. Representational Pic/File
In a major crackdown on international drug trafficking, the Oshiwara Police on Saturday said that it has arrested two Indonesian nationals from a hotel in Jogeshwari West area of Mumbai and seized over 21.55 kg of hydro cannabis, estimated to be worth Rs 21.55 crore in the international market.
Acting on a tip-off, and under the guidance of DCP Zone 9 officials, including Senior Inspector Pritam Banawali of Oshiwara Police Station led a successful operation alongside his detection team, including Assistant Police Inspector (API) Vikas Kadam, Assistant Sub-Inspector Shinde, Head Constable (HC) Siraj Mujawar, Police Constable (PC) Amol Sutar, PC Kishor Bobade, PC Sagar Awaghade, PC Navnath Gite, PC Ganesh Borate, and PC Sharad Kolekar. After following all procedural protocols, including assembling a panch team, they raided the hotel at around 10:15 am on 27 June, police said.
In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, Senior Police Inspector Pritam Banawali of Oshiwara Police Station The team coordinated and executed the raid with precision, demonstrating effective policing and teamwork in a high-stakes case.
The suspects were identified as Budi Wiyono (44) and Rakhmat Ardi Hidayat (39), police said
Both are Indonesian nationals and were staying at a hotel located in Jogeshwari, an official said.
During the raid, officials recovered around 10.722 kg of hydro cannabis from a regazine bag and 10.830 kg of hydro cannabis from a suitcase. The total contraband weighed 21.552 kg, and preliminary valuation in the international market is Rs 21.55 crore, an official said.
"Both suspects were informed of their legal rights under Section 50 of the NDPS Act, 1985 (conditions under which search of persons shall be conducted), and the arrests were made following due procedure," said a police officer.
A detailed panchnama was prepared at the spot, and the seized material was sealed in the presence of panch witnesses.
Further investigation revealed that while both accused are Indonesian nationals, the seized hydro cannabis is suspected to have originated from Thailand. The duo is believed to have smuggled the consignment into Mumbai via Malaysia.
"What is shocking is how this quantity of narcotics made it past the airport checks. This raises serious concerns about a possible breach or collusion within the security apparatus. We are actively probing if officials or others stationed at the airport were involved," the officer added.
Police are further investigating the travel routes, flight records, and digital footprints of the accused to uncover the larger trafficking network and to identify the intended recipients of the drugs in Mumbai or elsewhere, the official said.
Both accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and are currently in police custody. Further investigation is underway.
