Passengers pay ₹4 cr in customs duty at Ahmedabad airport in a year

As many as 1,092 passengers paid customs duty amounting to nearly ₹4 crore at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad during 2025, indicating both increased overseas travel and stricter enforcement by customs authorities.

Of the total duty collected, the highest contribution came from branded mobile phones. Around 362 passengers paid customs duty of about ₹1.72 crore on high-end mobile handsets purchased abroad, officials said. Gold jewellery was the second-largest contributor, with 85 passengers paying duty totalling ₹1.21 crore.

Luxury items also figured prominently in the declarations. Forty-one passengers paid customs duty of about ₹18.60 lakh on premium branded watches, while 126 passengers paid around ₹15.59 lakh on liquor brought from overseas. In addition, duty was collected on televisions, electronic goods, perfumes and cosmetics.

Officials said that between January and December, all 1,092 passengers voluntarily declared dutiable goods purchased abroad and paid the applicable duty at the airport.

Ahmedabad airport has also seen a rise in attempts to smuggle contraband, including gold, narcotics and luxury watches. Customs officials said passengers caught smuggling face heavy penalties, and in some cases the fine and duty can exceed the value of the goods. To avoid such action, many travellers prefer to declare goods and pay customs duty upfront.

Under existing customs rules, passengers are generally required to pay duty at the rate of 35% of the assessed value of goods exceeding the duty-free allowance.

Customs rules for select items

- One mobile phone and one laptop for personal use are generally exempt from duty. Additional units or new, unopened devices attract duty.

- Up to two litres of liquor is allowed duty-free.

- Gold jewellery is permitted duty-free up to ₹50,000 for men and ₹1 lakh for women.