Launching at the very start of 2026, Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande is Netflix’s new Indian crime series that pulls viewers into a rarely depicted frontline of law enforcement: airport customs and the global war against smuggling. Created by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Raghav Jairath, the show arrives on Netflix on January 14, 2026.
What is Taskaree about?
Instead of focusing on traditional police work or courtroom drama, Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande moves the action into international airport zones, where ordinary luggage and everyday travelers can hide high-stakes criminal operations. At the center of the story is inspector Arjun Meena, a meticulous and disciplined customs officer tasked with leading a specialized elite unit as smuggling activity surges.
Set against this backdrop, the series follows how this unit operates under a government directive aimed at reinforcing national security. Their mandate: to track, disrupt, and take down a global network organized around Bada Choudhary, a key player in international smuggling.
Airport customs as a high-tension battleground
Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande positions airports as pressure cookers where procedure, intuition, and strategy collide. Every inspection, interview, and baggage scan can uncover a hidden route in a much larger criminal chain. The show uses this confined but globally connected space to highlight how frontline customs officers absorb constant tension while remaining largely invisible to the traveling public.
By focusing on customs and enforcement routines, the series underscores the logistical side of smuggling: how contraband is concealed, routed, and moved across borders, and how officers like Arjun Meena must anticipate those tactics while staying within institutional rules.
The mission: dismantling a global smuggling network
Following a government push to tighten national security, Arjun Meena’s unit receives a sensitive and complex assignment: bring down a worldwide operation centered on Bada Choudhary. This network is depicted as structured and organized, forcing the customs team to combine careful investigation, on-the-ground checks, and strategic planning.
The show builds its tension around this “silent war” between border authorities and traffickers, emphasizing how even a minor mistake in judgment can have major consequences for both the team and the country’s security.
Neeraj Pandey and Emraan Hashmi team up
One of the standout aspects of Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande is that it marks the first collaboration between creator Neeraj Pandey and actor Emraan Hashmi. Pandey, who has already delivered several successful Netflix projects, continues here his interest in portraying Indian institutions under pressure, after previously turning his lens on the military and intelligence services.
Emraan Hashmi plays inspector Arjun Meena as a figure who doesn’t fit the mold of a typical on-screen hero. Instead of relying on big gestures or larger-than-life charisma, the character is defined by restraint, sharp observation, and strategic foresight in an environment where there is no margin for error.
The cast surrounding him—Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Anurag Sinha, and Zoya Afroz—supports a tone grounded in realism and psychological confrontation rather than spectacle. Together, they help anchor the story in the human cost and mental strain of working within high-stress security institutions.
A multi-country shoot to reflect a global operation
Produced by Friday Storytellers, Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande was filmed across four different countries and in multiple international airport locations. This global footprint mirrors the narrative focus on transnational smuggling routes and the logistical complexity behind them.
The series blends procedural elements—checks, inspections, and investigations—with a more serialized narrative that follows the escalating confrontation with a structured criminal organization. The result is a mix of case-driven tension and long-term story arcs built around the team’s pursuit of Bada Choudhary’s network.
Netflix presents the show as an immersion into a world that millions of travelers pass through but rarely see in detail: a tightly regulated, highly disciplined environment defined by constant vigilance and quiet yet unrelenting pressure.
When and where you can watch Taskaree
Subscribers will be able to watch the unit led by Arjun Meena step into action starting January 14, 2026, when Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande becomes available on Netflix in France. From that date, viewers can follow how far this silent war against international smuggling can go and how deeply it affects the people fighting it on the front lines.
FAQ
When does Taskaree: L’enfer de la contrebande premiere on Netflix?
The series is available in France on Netflix starting January 14, 2026.
Is Taskaree based on a true story?
No. It is a work of fiction, but it draws on documented realities about how customs services operate and how international smuggling functions.
Who plays the lead role in Taskaree?
Emraan Hashmi stars as inspector Arjun Meena, the head of a specialized airport customs unit.
What makes Taskaree different from other crime series on Netflix?
The show focuses specifically on airport customs and the fight against international smuggling, highlighting a discreet but highly pressurized environment that is familiar to travelers yet usually invisible in TV crime dramas.
