Most of us love a good deal. When a gadget costs less in another country, and as travellers returning home, that excitement often comes with a silent question at the back of the mind: What happens at the airport?Recently, one passenger travelling from Dubai was held in the aftermath of buying an iPhone 18 Pro from the foreign city, only to be stopped by the customs officers to pay the import duty, and what happened next was not expected.
Man withheld at Kochi airport by customs officers for buying iPhone 18 Pro from Dubai, to pay heavy duty stages a sit-in protest
According to Khaleej Times, Ajas Mohammed, a Kozhikode native and founder of the learning platform Eduport, staged a sit-in protest at Kochi’s Nedumbassery airport after customs officials seized an iPhone 18 Pro he bought in Dubai, for dispute was over import duty.Ajas said the phone was for his personal use and asked why he should pay customs charges. He alleged that officials asked for duty because he was already carrying another phone, and that the iPhone was seized when he refused to pay. He also claimed that other passengers carrying iPhone Pro models had paid between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000, and said he would not “give even one rupee unjustly”.Ajas said he would stay at the airport peacefully until the phone was returned. He also alleged that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel forcibly removed him from the spot.
A police case has been registered against him for obstructing customs officials from executing their duties
According to Khaleej Times, Nedumbassery police registered a case against him for allegedly interfering with customs officers’ duty. Gulf News describes it as obstructing the officials from carrying out their duties.Officials did not accept his personal-use argument as they said that Ajas had another iPhone with him, and that the new handset was unregistered.Ajas alleged that officers cited a ₹75,000 duty-free limit. He asked how travellers could bring in expensive iPhones at all if devices above that value attract duty.Deccan Chronicle noted that the legal basis for the seizure and the duty demand in his case was not immediately clear. I could not find an official customs statement on this case.
What do the Indian customs rules say
India’s Baggage Rules, 2026 came into effect on February 2, 2026. The government notified them on February 3, together with new baggage declaration regulations and a master circular, to make airport procedures easier.Under the rules, eligible Indian residents, tourists of Indian origin and certain foreign nationals arriving by air or sea can bring in goods worth up to ₹75,000, subject to conditions. The allowance for foreign-origin tourists is ₹25,000.The new rules state personal effects as, “all articles, whether new or used, which a passenger may reasonably require for personal use during the journey, taking into account the circumstances of travel, but excluding goods imported or exported for commercial purposes.”But also adds, “only used personal effects required for satisfying daily necessities of life are allowed duty free without limit”.