The ₹5.4 Crore Mistake: Inside the Delhi Customs Bust

Townhall Times, New Delhi

Reporter: Bhavika Kalra

By: Regional Desk | Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Delhi Customs just dropped the final details on a massive seizure that went down on February 18. A woman holding a US passport thought she could breeze through Terminal 3 from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific flight CX-695. She was wrong.

Here is exactly how the “Green Channel” gamble turned into a criminal arrest.

1. The Interception: Spot Profiling

This wasn’t a random check. Customs officers at IGI are trained in spot profiling—watching for specific behavioral cues and travel patterns.

The Suspicion: Her luggage looked “heavy” on the X-ray, showing high-density shapes that didn’t match typical personal items.
The Detour: She was diverted to a physical examination counter before she could exit.

2. The Haul: What was in the Bags?

When the bags were opened, it wasn’t just clothes. It was a luxury showroom’s worth of undeclared loot.

The Goods	The Breakdown
Bling	1.2 kg of Gold and Diamond jewelry.
Silver	10 kg of Silver Utensils (an odd choice for a carry-on).
Watches	Premium timepieces from Rolex, Bvlgari, Chopard, and Cartier.
Cash	Over $9,000 USD, plus Euros and HK Dollars.

The One Honest Bit: She also had 552 grams of gold that she had actually bought in India earlier. She had the bills for that, so Customs handed it back to her. But for the rest of the ₹5.42 crore haul? Confiscated.

3. The Legal Trap: Why “I didn’t know” Doesn’t Work

The passenger is now facing the full weight of the Customs Act, 1962:

Section 104 (The Arrest): Officers arrested her on the spot. This section is used for serious violations where the value of the smuggled goods exceeds the threshold for criminal prosecution.
Section 110 (The Seizure): This empowered the officers to seize the goods. If she can’t prove their origin or pay the massive penalties (which can go up to 100% of the value), the government keeps them.

4. Why Travelers Get Caught in 2026

As of February 1, 2026, India tightened its duty-free limits. If you’ve stayed abroad for over a year:

Women: Can only bring 40 grams of gold jewelry tax-free.
Men: Can only bring 20 grams tax-free.
Luxury Watches: These must be declared if they aren’t for personal use or exceed basic baggage allowances.

The Bottom Line

The woman is currently in judicial custody while the “source and destination” of these goods are investigated. This wasn’t just “forgetting to declare”; it was a massive attempt to bypass Indian economic regulations, and it backfired spectacularly.