Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

India iPhone smugglers busted at airport with $135,000 in merchandise

Officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport arrested three people attempting to smuggle 80 iPhones into India without paying duty.

Approximately 80 iPhones, valued at $134,900, were seized at the airport in Hyderabad, India, on June 24, 2021. The phones were being concealed in the checked-in luggage of two passengers, and an unspecified third person was also involved.

According to The Indian Express, the two passengers had flown in from Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Whether to leave their luggage for this third person to collect, or because they feared arrest, the two attempted to abandon their baggage and flee.

"The smuggled goods valued at [$134,900] were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962," an official told The Indian Express. "Further, [$54,000] in cash was also seized from one of the above persons under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is under progress."

The seized phones included iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models. Officials say that the accused people were involved in organized smuggling, which attempts to evade paying fees on dutiable goods.

Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast — and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.

If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.



2 Comments

22july2013 12 Years · 3757 comments

Maybe those 80 phones were for the immediate family members of the man in India with 89 children: (who just died last week.) If it's just for family members, that may mean it wasn't smuggling.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/06/15/worlds-largest-family-man-89-kids-ziona-chana-dies-india/7698817002/

Xed 5 Years · 2967 comments

Maybe those 80 phones were for the immediate family members of the man in India with 89 children: (who just died last week.) If it's just for family members, that may mean it wasn't smuggling.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/06/15/worlds-largest-family-man-89-kids-ziona-chana-dies-india/7698817002/

Smuggling isn't defined by who the goods are for, but whether the movement of goods into or out of a country is illegal.

But interesting story. It looks like McAfee had 47 children. I thought that was excessive. Perhaps most impressive is getting everyone together for that photograph.

1 Like · 0 Dislikes