Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web was released on Netflix on January 14, 2026 and as expectedly it has become the most watched web series of the week in India. Directed by Raghav Jairath, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web revolves around a team of Custom officers posted at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport aka Mumbai Airport.
The series revolve around a team of Custom officers led by Superintendent Arjun Meena played Emraan Hashmi.
Created by Neeraj Pandey, the series starts with AC Prakash Kumar joining the Customs at Mumbai Airport and reinstating a bunch of suspended officers including Arjun Meena, Ravinder Gujjar, and Mitali Kamath. They have only one job i.e. to stop smuggling from Mumbai Airport.
Now, the question arises whether Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is based on real life case or not? Continue reading below to know all about Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web True Story or Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web Real Story-
The answer is no. At the start of the series the makers of the series in the start have posted a disclaimer. In the disclaimer, they have clearly outlined that the series is fictional in nature and any resemblance to real life character should be treated as a co-incidence.
Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web showcase a team led by SI Arjun Meena, Ravinder Gujjar, Mitali Kamath, and other Custom officers joining hand to carry out Operation Longshot.
Operation Longshot was carried out on secret inputs received by Arjun Meena that Bara Chaudhry is smuggling gold, drugs, and other luxurious items in a single day that cost in hundreds of crores.
Arjun Meena planted a mole in Bara Chaudhry's smuggling syndicate. This is how he got the information about the upcoming shipment.
In the final episode of the series, Arjun Meena and his team made a massive seizure from Mumbai Airport. This time, Meena and his team seize Rs 1200 crore-worth gold at Mumbai Airport. In the end, Bara Chaudhry gets arrested in Al Dera (Saudi Arabia).
Well, there is no such report available that reports that Custom officers have seized gold in such large amount from Mumbai Airport. However, time-to-time Customs keep on catching smugglers at the airport.
For example, in 2024, the Mumbai Airport Customs officials seized over 11.40kg of gold and electronic items worth Rs7.46 crore in 24 cases.
The gold was found concealed inside clothes, sanitary pads, trolley, undergarments and on the body of the passengers. The customs had also seized 281gm of narcotics substances, including MDMA, worth Rs 67.56 lakh, concealed in cloth conditioner bottles.
As per HT report published in 2019, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted an international gold smuggling racket and arrested seven of its members. The DRI also seized around 106 kilograms of smuggled gold worth around Rs 31.8 crore.
The racket had smuggled in nearly 200kg foreign-origin gold worth nearly ₹60 crore into India from Dubai. The racket would declare the gold as brass and conceal it inside imported metal scrap to smuggle it.
The arrested accused were Nisar Aliyar, 43, a Kerala resident, Shoeb Zarodarwala, 47, Abdul Zarodarwala, 26, Manoj Jain, 32, Aaquil Fruitwala, 39, Shaikh Ahad, 32, and Happy Dhakad, 34.
