Had to pay Rs 18 lakh for smuggling wrist watch worth Rs 50 lakh

Mumbai: A Kerala businessman who smuggled a luxury wrist watch worth Rs 50 lakh from Dubai had to pay a duty of Rs 18 lakh at the Pune airport. Apart from the duty fee, the trader also had to pay a penalty of 61.5 percent.

Acting on a specific information, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs intercepted a passenger from Dubai at Pune International Airport on Wednesday morning. The businessman was also accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law. After deboarding the Dubai flight, the businessman was passing through the green channel without revealing anything about the luxury watch he was wearing, when Air Intelligence Unit officials stopped him and interrogated him about the luxury watch he was wearing. At first the businessman gave an evasive answer and said that it was his old watch. However, as the officials had specific information, they called an appraiser who checked the serial number of the watch and it became clear that the luxury watch was a brand new series watch of the year 2024.

The price of this watch was found to be around Rs 48 lakh. During the search of the businessman’s belongings, an challan issued after the purchase of the watch was also found. This businessman involved in scrap business finally earned Rs. Agreed to pay Rs 18.57 lakh fee and paid the fee amount at the airport itself. He was then handed the watch along with the official customs certificate and let go.