Kochi airport iPhone customs row explained: Why was an NRI passenger asked to pay nearly ₹30,000?

The dispute turned on the difference between used personal belongings and newly purchased goods. A passenger’s intention to use an item personally does not automatically make every new purchase duty-free. This distinction matters because customs rules apply different conditions to used daily necessities and new goods.

Ajas Muhamad arrived from the UAE with a new iPhone 18 Pro and an older phone he already used. He said the new device was for himself and that carrying two phones should not automatically create a duty liability. Customs officials reportedly treated the Dubai-bought phone as a new, dutiable purchase.

The phone reportedly cost about Dh5,950, which the article says was above the ₹75,000 general allowance. The rules do not impose a simple one-phone limit, but value, whether the item is used or new, and other conditions matter. Ajas left the phone with customs and said he would challenge the decision.

The reported customs demand ranged from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000. One account described it as nearly ₹30,000. That amount became the immediate flashpoint, but the larger issue was whether the new phone qualified for any exemption under the Baggage Rules, 2026.

Ajas reportedly bought the iPhone 18 Pro in Dubai for around Dh5,950. The article states that this value was above the ₹75,000 general duty-free allowance available to eligible air passengers. He argued that the device was for personal use and should not attract duty merely because he carried another phone.

Customs officials reportedly viewed the iPhone as a new purchase subject to duty. The article does not provide an exchange-rate calculation between dirhams and rupees, but it directly states that the phone’s value exceeded the allowance. Ajas refused payment, left the phone in customs custody, and said he would pursue a legal challenge.

The rules define personal effects broadly as new or used articles a passenger may reasonably need for personal use during a journey. They exclude goods brought for commercial purposes. However, the specific duty-free provision discussed in the article refers to used personal effects required for daily necessities of life.

This creates an important distinction. A phone that a passenger has been using may fit the idea of a used personal effect needed for daily life. A phone bought abroad shortly before arrival is still intended for personal use, but customs may classify it as a new purchase. Its personal purpose alone does not settle its duty status.

Ajas carried an older phone he had been using and a new iPhone 18 Pro bought in Dubai. Customs reportedly treated the new device as dutiable, while Ajas questioned that approach. The article says new purchases can fall under the general allowance and other applicable conditions, rather than receiving automatic exemption as used necessities.

The Baggage Rules, 2026 provide a general duty-free allowance of ₹75,000 for eligible passengers arriving in India by air. The listed groups include eligible Indian residents, tourists of Indian origin, and certain foreign nationals. The rules came into force on 2 February.

The rules also allow used personal effects required for daily necessities of life to enter without duty. Their definition of personal effects includes new or used articles reasonably needed for personal use during a journey, but excludes goods brought for commercial purposes. New purchases do not automatically receive the used-effects exemption.

This framework explains why the Kochi dispute is not simply about the number of phones carried. A new electronic item may need to fit within the ₹75,000 allowance and satisfy other conditions. The article says the iPhone’s reported value exceeded that allowance, leading customs officials to treat it as dutiable while Ajas disputed the interpretation.

The disagreement moved beyond a customs counter after Ajas refused to pay the reported demand. He maintained that the iPhone was for his own use and objected to the duty request. He also reportedly said other passengers on the same flight faced similar demands.

Ajas staged a sit-in protest at the airport. CISF personnel intervened and escorted him away from the customs area. Customs officials later filed a complaint alleging that he had obstructed them while they were performing their duties. The Nedumbassery police then registered a case against him.

Ajas left the iPhone in customs custody rather than paying the disputed amount. He said he would challenge the decision legally. The incident brought wider attention to how the Baggage Rules, 2026 distinguish between used personal effects, new purchases, and the general duty-free allowance.

A passenger is not subject to a simple blanket rule allowing or banning one newly purchased phone. The article says the Baggage Rules, 2026 do not set a straightforward limit of one mobile phone per passenger. Instead, duty treatment depends on the rules governing personal effects, new purchases, allowances, and applicable conditions.

A phone bought abroad may be brought in without duty if it qualifies under the relevant allowance or exemption. The general air-arrival allowance for eligible passengers is ₹75,000. Used personal effects required for daily necessities can also be duty-free. But a new phone may be treated as a purchase rather than a used personal effect, even when the passenger intends to use it personally.

Ajas’s case shows the uncertainty in practice. He carried an older phone and a new iPhone 18 Pro bought for about Dh5,950. Customs treated the new device as dutiable because its reported value exceeded ₹75,000. The final position would depend on the applicable customs assessment and any legal challenge.

Customs duty is a tax charged by a government on certain goods brought across an international border. It is assessed when imported goods do not qualify for an exemption or duty-free allowance. In this dispute, the question was whether a newly purchased iPhone met the conditions for duty-free treatment.

Governments commonly charge customs duty to collect public revenue and regulate the entry of goods. Duty rules can also distinguish between personal belongings, new purchases, and goods brought for commercial purposes. The article specifically describes India’s allowance for eligible air passengers and its separate treatment of used personal effects.

Ajas’s case shows how these principles operate at an airport. Customs reportedly viewed his new iPhone 18 Pro as a dutiable purchase, while he argued that personal use should protect it from duty. The article does not detail the broader economic reasons for India’s customs rates; it focuses on the dispute over classification and exemption.