File photo for representation purposes only.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
A Bengaluru-based couple working as mules for an international drug syndicate managed to smuggle 18 kg of hydro ganja worth ₹18.6 crore into the city through Kempegowda International Airport by concealing the contraband in food packets inside their backpacks. They were arrested hours later by the Mahalakshmi Layout police while waiting to deliver the consignment to their handler on Sunday (November 30, 2025).
The accused have been identified as Shafiuddin Sheikh, a car mechanic, and his wife Sara Simran, residents of Kammanahalli. According to investigators, the couple had travelled to Bangkok on tourist visas and returned with the narcotics.
A police officer part of the probe said the couple were offered free travel, accommodation, and additional payment to smuggle the drugs. The contraband had been concealed in nine food packets, each weighing around two kilograms. “They had no criminal record, which is one of the primary reasons they were chosen as mules,” the officer added.
What has particularly alarmed investigators is how the duo managed to evade stringent checks by Customs officials, who were operating under enhanced security protocols issued by the government in the wake of increased drug smuggling ahead of New Year festivities. Customs officers have been following a detailed set of guidelines on profiling and screening passengers, and on paper, the couple’s background fit the parameters.
However, acting on credible intelligence, the city police tracked the couple soon after their arrival and intercepted them before the consignment could be handed over to local contacts.
A team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Mary Shailaja has seized two mobile phones from the accused and is analysing communication records to identify others involved in the network. The couple has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and remanded in to 10-day police custody for further investigation.
City police commissioner Seemant Kumar Sigh appreciated the police team and said that city police have cracked down on drug cases and seized ₹160 core worth drugs this year so far.
Published – December 04, 2025 01:41 pm IST
