Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has caught a stockpile of iPhones being smuggled into the country. After developing precise intelligence, officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence inspected two consignments on November 26, 2021. These consignments had arrived from Hong Kong at Air Cargo Complex (ACC), Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.
In the import documents, the goods were declared as “memory cards”. Physical examination, however, revealed that the consignments actually contained the following items–
| Description | Quantity |
| iPhone 13 Pro | 2,245 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | 1,401 |
| Google Pixel 6 pro | 12 |
| Apple Smart Watch | 1 |
Thus, a total of 3,646 iPhone-13 mobile phones were found in the intercepted consignments. The above mentioned mobile phones and apple smart watch, not having been declared, were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. The total value of the seized goods is around Rs 42.86 crore, while the declared value of the goods was only Rs 80 lakh.
iPhone 13 models went for sale in India from September 2021 onwards, with a base price of Rs 70,000, with some of the higher-end models costing up to Rs 1,80,000. Import of mobile phones into India attracts effective Customs Duty of around 44%, according to a PIB release.
The detection of attempted smuggling of these high-end phones of latest models in such large numbers shows how quickly the smugglers establish their smuggling networks for the latest products, like iPhone 13. This detection has helped unearth a serious import fraud, reinforcing DRI’s ability to detect and combat unique and sophisticated methods of smuggling, having substantial revenue implications.