Passengers arriving at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad paid nearly 4 crore in customs duty during 2025, reflecting a rise in international travel as well as tighter checks by customs authorities.
Official data shows that 1,092 passengers voluntarily declared dutiable items and paid the applicable duty over the year. Branded mobile phones accounted for the largest share of the collection, with 362 passengers paying around ₹1.72 crore on high-end handsets bought overseas. Gold jewellery followed, as 85 passengers paid customs duty totalling ₹1.21 crore.
Other luxury goods also contributed to the revenue. About ₹18.60 lakh was collected from 41 passengers on premium branded watches, while 126 travellers paid nearly ₹15.59 lakh in duty on imported liquor. Duty was also levied on televisions, electronic items, perfumes and cosmetics.
Customs officials said Ahmedabad airport has witnessed an increase in smuggling attempts involving gold, narcotics and luxury watches. Passengers caught in such cases face heavy penalties, with fines and duty sometimes exceeding the value of the goods. To avoid punitive action, many travellers now opt to declare items and pay duty upfront.
Under current customs regulations, passengers are required to pay duty at 35% of the assessed value of goods that exceed the prescribed duty-free allowance.
Customs rules for select items:
- One mobile phone and one laptop for personal use are generally exempt from duty; additional or 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.