The Netflix series Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, created by Neeraj Pandey, delves into the inner workings of the customs department at Mumbai Airport, a sprawling 2,000-acre facility that processes millions of passengers daily. The narrative explores the tension between airport officials and a highly organized criminal network, highlighting the complex operations and infiltrations sometimes necessary to uphold the law in an environment rife with smuggling.[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]The story centers on Superintendent Arjun Meena (Emraan Hashmi), who leads a team of previously suspended officers tasked with taking down the smuggling operations led by Bada Choudhary (Sharad Kelkar). The operation is overseen by Prakash Kumar (Anurag Sinha), an agent appointed by the Finance Minister to ensure incorruptible officers are in place to dismantle the known criminal network operating within the airport.Read more: The 10 Best TV Shows of 2025Team formation and initial operationsAfter being appointed, Kumar quickly identifies corrupt officials working with the criminal network and transfers them out. He then recruits three loyal officers who had been suspended: Meena, Ravi Gujjar (Nandish Sandhu), and Mitali Sharma (Amruta Khanvilkar). Meena is the strategist of the team, Ravi serves as the fearless and principled muscle, and Mitali specializes in tracking high-value goods and executing swift inspections at customs checkpoints.The team begins small-scale intercepts of illegal shipments, monitoring passengers, baggage, and internal communications to understand the smugglers’ methods and identify key players. Operations require precise coordination, as corrupt officers and unknown elements within the airport could compromise their efforts. Meena directs the team’s actions, keeping timing and strategy precisely on track.Ravi Gujjar’s role and the informantRavi, a loyal and fearless officer within Prakash Kumar’s team, relies on Priya (Zoya Afroz), an undercover informant embedded in the crew of Anna Seth, an associate of Choudhary. Priya gathers critical intelligence on shipments, the movements of key operatives such as Rahul, and the coordination handled by Suresh, Seth’s right-hand man. Her reports enable Ravi and the team to anticipate smuggler actions and plan precise interventions without exposing law enforcement operatives.Meanwhile, Meena begins to notice inconsistencies both among his own team members and within the smuggling network. Several mysterious deaths occur—one during a customs raid and another while in custody—increasing the tensions among his team. Bada Choudhary’s pressure and Prakash Kumar’s corruptionAs the team gains ground, Choudhary attempts to regain control and intimidate the officers: he offers bribes to Kumar and threatens the lives of officers and their families. The situation escalates when Ravi is killed on Choudhary’s orders, demonstrating the vulnerability of the team and placing greater pressure on Meena to act decisively.At this point, a critical revelation emerges: Kumar, previously considered honest and scrupulous, had struck a deal with Choudhary in Bangkok, securing a percentage of the smuggling profits in exchange for facilitating certain shipments. Every prior action taken by Kumar—transferring corrupt officials, coordinating protective measures, and guiding operations—had been aimed at gaining Choudhary’s trust and manipulating the sequence of events in his favor.The gold shipmentIn the final episodes, Choudhary orchestrates the transport of two tons of gold in 40 coffins, expecting the shipment to pass undetected through customs. Suresh relays the information to Superintendent Srikant Saxena, the informant connected to Ravi, who then communicates the intelligence to Meena. At the same time, Priya is dispatched to Al Dera to monitor Choudhary and provide the police with coordinates.Upon inspecting the coffins, the team finds them empty. Meena realizes that the original shipment has been manipulated: the gold has been diverted and hidden within diplomatic furniture, a move orchestrated by Kumar. This revelation sets off a race across the airport to intercept the shipment before it reaches its intended destination, exposing the full extent of internal betrayal.The final confrontationMeena confronts Kumar at Warehouse 2 and discovers the location of the gold bars concealed within the furniture. Simultaneously, the police raid Choudhary’s residence in Al Dera, guided by Priya’s intelligence. The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.The series concludes by exposing Kumar’s corruption while highlighting the significance of loyalty, strategy, and coordination in customs operations. Each step—from the deployment of informants to the final interception—demonstrates how precise planning, courage, and trust among officers had been essential in dismantling a sophisticated criminal network at one of the world’s busiest airports.