Mumbai. The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) has arrested a 28-year-old model named Harsha Sani, who flew into Mumbai from Bangkok, for allegedly smuggling hydroponic cannabis. Harsha Sani had earlier taken part as a contestant in the Mrs Kerala beauty pageant held in 2025. According to customs officials, she arrived in Mumbai on the night of 10 and 11 June aboard Air India flight TG-351. When she was searched on the basis of suspicion, 12 vacuum-sealed packets were recovered from her trolley bag, the value of which is being estimated at over Rs 11 crore 82 lakh.
Arrested With Cannabis
When the packets were opened, a suspicious green-coloured substance was found inside them. On testing with an NDPS examination kit, the substance turned out to be dried flowers and fruiting buds of cannabis, which were identified as hydroponic weed. Following this, the customs department took action under the NDPS Act and placed Harsha Sani under arrest. The accused was produced before the court, where the Killa Court ordered that she be sent to judicial custody.
What Is Hydroponic Cannabis?
Everyone knows that cannabis is an intoxicant. But over the past some time, the trend of hydroponic cannabis appears to be rising rapidly. Bangkok, a city in South-East Asia, has become a major hub for it. It is from here that this hydroponic cannabis is smuggled into India and other countries. Smugglers involved in such cases are repeatedly being taken into custody in India. Hydroponic cannabis is grown using a special technique in which it is cultivated not in soil but in a controlled environment inside a closed room. The THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) content found in it can be as high as 30-40 per cent, whereas ordinary cannabis contains only about 3-4 per cent THC. This is precisely why hydroponic cannabis is considered highly premium. Because of its hallucinogenic effect, it is also known as the cocaine of the poor. So far, its smuggling has been intercepted several times at airports, and now, most recently, the model named Harsha Sani too has been arrested by the police.
