23 iPhones worth Rs 34 lakh seized at KIA

Customs officials said they caught a passenger trying to smuggle 23 iPhone 14 Pro Max phones into Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here.

The passenger boarded Thai Airways flight TG 325 from Bangkok at 8:15 p.m. (IST) on Saturday and landed at Bengaluru airport at 11:54 p.m.

Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials used behavioral analysis and profiling to pull the passenger aside for questioning.

A search revealed the presence of smartphones worth Rs 34.47 lakh in the luggage.

The phones were seized and the passenger was arrested, customs officials said.

iPhone smuggling in India is considered lucrative due to the large price difference abroad.

An iPhone 14 Pro Max (128GB) retails for 44,900 baht in Thailand, which translates to around Rs 97,442. In India, the same model costs Rs 1,39,900.