Smuggled Drones Seized
Delhi Customs officials seize defense-grade drones worth ₹1 crore from passengers at airport.
Anonymous
Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport seized 10 Autel Robotics MDX-1 professional-grade drones and related equipment from three Indian passengers arriving from Hong Kong via Vietnam. The drones, valued with the seized accessories and an iPhone at about ₹1.03 crore, were equipped with thermal imaging and laser range-finding capabilities; a technical assessment classified them as defense-grade UAVs requiring DGCA registration. Officials said the passengers were intercepted after crossing the Green Channel and the goods were seized under the Customs Act. The passengers reportedly told investigators the drones were brought for a friend without being declared, and authorities are investigating the import and intended use.
Key Points
1
Officials said a Chartered Engineer assessed the seized goods’ total market value at exactly ₹1,03,55,900.
2
The inventory included 11 remote controllers, 10 adapters, 10 USB chargers, 20 data cables, 60 propellers and 10 camera-equipped gimbals, as well as an iPhone 18 Pro Max with 512GB of storage.
3
The goods were seized under Section 110(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passengers were apprehended.
4
One report cautioned that officials had not established a military or unlawful purpose for the drones, noting that “military-grade” was the authorities’ description of the equipment, not a finding about the passengers’ intent.
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