Director of EAGLE Force, Sandeep Shandilya addresses a press conference on the bust of an international hydroponic cannabis smuggling syndicate operating between Thailand and India, at TGICCC, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad on June 4, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur
Forty people have been identified and several arrested in connection with an international hydroponic cannabis smuggling syndicate that allegedly trafficked the narcotic substance from Thailand to India using a network of carriers. Investigators revealed links across Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and other States.According to the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement Force (EAGLE Force), the syndicate was allegedly led by Hemang Pramod Keluskar of Mumbai and his brother Sudhanshu Pramod Keluskar, who are accused of establishing a network in Thailand in 2023 to procure and smuggle hydroponic cannabis into India.Director of EAGLE, Sandeep Shandilya said the group recruited carriers to transport the contraband through different international airports and distributed it through a network of handlers and peddlers. It was also revealed that the brothers were involved in red sandalwood smuggling in 2013 and switched to narcotic trade after looking at the demand and high returns, said the officer.Most of the drug mules were from Gujarat and Telangana. The case originated from the interception of Mohsin Bahadurbhai Sodha at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad on April 7, 2026, with 13.2 kg of hydroponic cannabis.Subsequent surveillance by the EAGLE Force led to the arrest of Prajapti Harshad Mansukhbhai and Sandeep Jaiprakash Vaswani alias Rahul Jain at BHEL Junction, Ramachandrapuram, where 12.739 kg of hydroponic cannabis was seized from their possession.Police said investigations uncovered a sophisticated operation in which carriers were allegedly flown to Thailand, accommodated in Pattaya, provided luggage containing hydroponic cannabis and instructed to return through various Indian airports.The contraband was then transported to Mumbai for distribution. Payments were allegedly collected in cash and routed back to Thailand through hawala channels to finance further drug trafficking activities.Investigators alleged that the syndicate entered the cannabis cultivation business in Thailand under the guise of medical and commercial use. They are said to have leased a cultivation chamber capable of growing 144 cannabis plants per cycle, with up to four cultivation cycles annually, under a five-year agreement.The probe also found that the syndicate had allegedly used around 300 carriers to transport hydroponic cannabis from Thailand to India. Authorities said the group frequently changed arrival airports, including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolkata, to evade detection by enforcement agencies.The EAGLE Force said several arrests linked to the network had previously been made by Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and State narcotics units at different airports and locations across the country. Among those arrested in separate cases were carriers and coordinators from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gujarat and other regions.Police said further investigation is under way to trace the absconding accused, identify additional associates and establish the full extent of the syndicate’s operations. Published - June 04, 2026 04:37 pm IST
