Now, fliers declare even pen drives

After the actor's detention by Mumbai customs, others tread cautiously, flood officials with phone calls to declare every small thing

After the actor's detention by Mumbai customs, others tread cautiously, flood officials with phone calls to declare every small thing

The acting career of Minissha Lamba may not be a gold standard for tinsel town aspirants, but her customs breach exposeu00a0has come to be a point of reference for many circumspect commuters, who now want to announce every odd thing in their baggage.



Customs officials at the Mumbai international airport have been flooded with phone calls from fliers anxious to declare their assets prior to journey, after the actor's run-in with the customs department.
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Such is the heightened consciousness among some international commuters that it is driving them to declareu00a0 even items like pen drives.

Lamba is not the first public figure to have been detained by the Mumbai Customs.

But her unplanned rendezvous with the department has made waves among high-fliers, more than the customs contraventions by wife of steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal, Sangeeta, wife of a high-profile businessman, Sheetal Mafatlal, and Goa Education Minister Anatasio Monserrate.

But no one's complaining. Said a senior customs official, "We are getting a lot of calls from foreign travellers after theu00a0 Minissha Lamba episode.

They have become more cautious and they are approaching our office to even declare things like pen drives. But we are happy that fliers are finally exercising caution about duty laws. We didn't expect that to happen right away."

Customs officials also revealed that they tend to be additionally wary in case of undeclared jewellery as a lot of smuggling rings operate through various channels, notu00a0 least of which is the airways.
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"We are stern about customs duty to minimise the possibility of any international nexus flourishing with criminal motives.

Any case related to undeclared jewellery, specially diamond ornaments, stands out and draws our attention," said another official.

Lamba, who was returning from Cannes in an Emirates flight, was caught by the customs department at the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar, on Wednesday morning for carrying undeclared diamond jewellery worth about Rs 50 lakh. She was interrogated for close to 11 hours before being released post midnight.

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