Former CBIC officer held with ₹27 crore 'hydroponic marijuana', drug cartel busted: Police

Delhi Police has busted an planetary cause cartel operating successful India, Thailand, and the UAE with the apprehension of a sacked Customs section serviceman and seizure of implicit 21 kg of high-grade "hydroponic marijuana" with a thoroughfare worth of ₹27 crore, an authoritative said connected Wednesday (October 29, 2025).

Rohit Kumar Sharma, a 35-year-old erstwhile inspector with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), was arrested during a late-night cognition successful Janakpuri successful South-West Delhi, helium said.

Police besides seized ₹44.42 lakh successful cash, allegedly proceeds from cause sales, on with an XUV and a scooter from his possession, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

Acting connected a tip-off, a squad laid a trap adjacent Janak Cinema connected the intervening nighttime of October 13 and 14 and intercepted Sharma, who was delivering a large consignment of "ocean-grown weed", besides known arsenic hydroponic marijuana.

“A full of 21,512 kg of the substance was seized from him, and astatine his instance. ‘Hydroponic marijuana’ is simply a rare, high-end variant cultivated utilizing technological methods and has a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contented 10 times higher than regular cannabis. It is fashionable among affluent users and enactment circles and is usually imported from Thailand done planetary courier routes,” a constabulary connection said.

The constabulary said that Sharma holds a B.Tech grade successful Electronics Engineering and had joined the Central Excise Department successful 2015.

However, helium was arrested successful 2019 successful a golden smuggling lawsuit during his posting astatine Kannur Airport successful Kerala and was aboriginal booked nether the NDPS Act by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

"He was dismissed from work successful 2023 aft a departmental inquiry," the DCP said.

Following his sacking, Sharma shifted to Dubai, wherever helium allegedly came into interaction with Abhishek, a autochthonal of Bihar, and the 2 conspired to import hydroponic marijuana from Thailand into India.

The accused utilized his contacts wrong the Customs Department to facilitate smuggling done low-footfall airports specified arsenic Guwahati, the serviceman said.

The proceeds from the merchantability of drugs were allegedly laundered done hawala and cryptocurrency channels routed to Dubai. Further probe is underway to place his associates, the constabulary said.