Rolex watch confiscated upon arrival from Dubai to Delhi; learn about rules and regulations related to luxury goods at the airport..

Mahesh, an Indian citizen currently living in Dubai, arrived in India on March 7, 2024. He was wearing a Rolex watch. As soon as he landed at Delhi airport, customs officials stopped him and confiscated his Rolex watch. Mahesh was even given a receipt for it.

A watch was in violation of customs rules.
You must be wondering what problem a watch caused the customs officials. So, let this news story answer these questions and explain the customs regulations at airports. Make this news a news headline.

In this case, the Customs Department accused the passenger of violating the rules and confiscated the watch. The Rolex watch was valued at approximately ₹13.48 lakh. The department stated that a single Rolex watch is considered a commercial quantity and cannot be for personal use.

What is the Green Channel? It is for passengers whose luggage falls within the duty-free limit.

What is the Red Channel? This applies to passengers who have goods exceeding the duty-free limit and are required to pay duty on them.

Relief from the Delhi High Court
However, passenger Mahesh appealed to the Delhi High Court against this action. In a recent order, the Delhi High Court strongly criticized the Customs Department's reasoning. The court clearly stated that "a Rolex watch cannot be considered a commercial quantity and there is no reason why it cannot be kept for personal use."

Permission to take back the watch after paying a fine
However, the court did not quash the Customs Department's seizure order, but granted the passenger relief, directing him to return his Rolex watch after paying a fine. In this case, the court gave the passenger the option to pay a fine of ₹180,000. After paying this fine, the passenger was allowed to re-export the watch. He was also given until October 31, 2025, to pay the fine and release his property.

What the Rules Say
Declaration Mandatory
If you are bringing any item (such as a new watch, gold jewelry, electronics, etc.) from abroad, you must go through the red channel and declare it.

Paying Customs Duty
You must pay customs duty on declared goods. This fee is usually around 38.5%, depending on the value of the item.

Old/Worn Items
Even if you are wearing an expensive item (such as a Rolex watch), customs officials may check its value. If it was recently purchased and you did not declare it when you first took it out of India, it will be considered imported goods.

Delhi Customs is continuously cracking down on smuggling and violations of customs rules at the airport. This case once again reminds travellers that when bringing expensive items from abroad, especially from places like Dubai, it is important to follow duty regulations and provide information about valuables.

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