Woman arrested at Delhi airport for smuggling 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max: Here’s how she had hidden them

Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport arrested a woman passenger for attempting to smuggle 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max devices into India from Hong Kong. The phones, with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 37 lakh, were found concealed inside the passenger's vanity bag, wrapped inside tissue paper.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, customs authorities intercepted the woman upon her arrival in Delhi. "Based on intelligence, Delhi Airport Customs intercepted a lady passenger travelling from Hong Kong to Delhi carrying 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max concealed inside her vanity bag," an official spokesperson told news agency, ANI.

The iPhone 16 series, launched earlier this month, includes Apple's most premium flagship phone, the Pro Max model. In India, prices for the iPhone 16 Pro Max start at Rs 1,44,900 for the 256GB variant.

Meanwhile, in the Hong Kong the same 256GB storage variant costs HK$ 1,099, which converts to around Rs 1,09,913. So, there’s a difference of Rs 34,987 between the price of iPhone 16 Pro Max in the two countries.

The arrested woman has been booked under the Customs Act, 1962. Authorities continue their probe to identify any accomplices and dismantle the smuggling racket.

Customs officials have indicated that further investigations are underway to uncover any potential networks involved in the smuggling operation.


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