iPhone 18 Pro Seized at Kochi Airport Triggers Customs Duty Dispute and Legal Challenge

On October 23, Ajas Mohammed arrived at Cochin International Airport with a brand-new iPhone 18 Pro purchased in Dubai for Dh 5,950 (? INR1,54,134). Customs officials asked him to declare the device’s value, noting it exceeded the INR75,000 duty-free limit. When Mohammed refused to pay the assessed duty, the phone was seized. He staged a sit-in protest in a high-security area, was removed by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, and handed over to police.

Hindustan Times

India’s Baggage Rules, 2026—effective February 2, 2026—allow eligible residents, tourists of Indian origin, and certain foreign nationals to bring goods worth up to INR75,000 duty-free, subject to conditions. The distinction between used personal items and newly purchased electronics is pivotal in determining duty liability.

Man buys iPhone 18 Pro in Dubai, gets stopped by customs officials at Kochi airport and asked to pay a duty, stages potest says, "would not give even one rupee unjustly”

• October 23 – iPhone 18 Pro seized at Kochi Airport.

Hindustan Times

• October 24 (? 3:30 am) – Police register a case against Mohammed for allegedly obstructing customs duties.

Deccan Chronicle

• October 25 – Mohammed publicly declares the protest, citing personal-use justification and the INR75,000 ceiling.

Deccan Chronicle

• October 26 – Mohammed returns to the airport seeking the phone’s return; he is denied and told to settle a “very minimum duty.”

Hindustan Times

• February 2, 2026 – Baggage Rules, 2026 come into force, establishing the INR75,000 allowance.

Hindustan Times

• Customs officers reportedly demanded a duty of INR20,000–INR30,000 for the iPhone 18 Pro.

Man buys iPhone 18 Pro in Dubai, gets stopped by customs officials at Kochi airport and asked to pay a duty, stages potest says, "would not give even one rupee unjustly”

• The duty-free ceiling cited by officials is INR75,000.

Hindustan Times

Customs officials asserted that the seized iPhone was new and unregistered, and that Mohammed was already carrying another iPhone for personal use. Lawyers Shabeel Ummer (Dubai) and Hakkim Ottapalam (Sharjah) noted that exemptions apply only to phones already in use by their owners, not to newly purchased devices. No formal customs press release on this specific case was located.

Hindustan Times

• “Customs rules clearly state that electronics carried for personal use are exempt from import duty,” — Ajas Mohammed

Case Filed Against NRI Passenger At Kochi Airport After Row Over iPhone Customs Duty

• Duty assessment basis: Customs officers claim the phone’s value exceeded the INR75,000 limit, while the Baggage Rules allow duty-free entry for “used personal effects” without a value cap, creating ambiguity about whether a brand-new phone qualifies.

Hindustan Times

• Legal basis for seizure: Section 81 of the Customs Act 1962 empowers customs to regulate baggage declaration and assessment, but the rule does not differentiate between new and used items, leaving the precise justification for seizing a new phone unclear.

Hindustan Times

Mohammed plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Kerala High Court to challenge the “ambiguity” in Indian customs regulations and seek the return of his iPhone 18 Pro.

Hindustan Times