Man’s Rolex seized at airport; HC gives relief— how customs rules apply to luxury items

Times of IndiaCenter-RightEN 4 min read 100% complete by TOI NEWS DESKOctober 26, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Man’s Rolex seized at airport; HC gives relief— how customs rules apply to luxury items

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In March 2024, Indian citizen Mahesh, residing in Dubai, had his Rolex watch worth Rs 12.7 lakh seized at Delhi Airport after passing through the Green Channel without declaring it. Customs initially classified the watch as a "commercial quantity" due to non-declaration. The Delhi High Court later ruled that a single luxury item cannot be automatically treated as goods meant for trade and allowed Mahesh to redeem his watch upon paying the prescribed fine. The court upheld the requirement for declaration of high-value items but clarified that one Rolex does not constitute commercial import. This ruling provides guidance on customs rules applicable to luxury items for both travelers and enforcement authorities.

Keywords

rolex watch 90% customs rules 80% commercial quantity 80% non-declaration penalty 70% delhi high court 70% personal use 70% luxury items 60% legal battle 60% redemption upon payment of fine 50% indira gandhi international airport 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive
Score: 0.30

Source Transparency

Source
Times of India
Political Lean
Center-Right (0.20)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Indira Gandhi International Airport

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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