Ahmedabad customs seize 61 designer pens worth up to Rs 30 lakh

What looked like an ordinary arrival turned into a high-value bust at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, where customs officials seized 61 premium designer pens worth up to Rs 30 lakh from a passenger arriving from Japan via Vietnam.

The passenger, who landed on VietJet flight VJ 1805 through Ho Chi Minh City, caught the attention of officials due to suspicious behaviour during routine screening. A baggage scan raised further red flags, prompting a closer inspection.

What followed was an unusual discovery; dozens of high-end ink pens, carefully concealed inside the luggage. Each pen is estimated to be worth between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000, making the total haul one of the more peculiar high-value seizures in recent times.

Officials said the passenger had not declared the items, allegedly attempting to slip them past customs duty checks. The entire consignment has been seized under the Customs Act, 1962.

While the exact valuation is yet to be finalised pending expert assessment, the passenger is currently being questioned. Authorities are also probing whether the pens were meant for personal use or part of a larger smuggling network.

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