From the recent stats, it looks like all over India, there must be more than 500+ DJI drones confiscated by the customs in this last 3-4 months.

And I know many cases, the guys have managed to get their drone, by paying money to those corrupt custom officers as well.

Well, for sure, its of no use to the customs, so they must be putting those items into their auction.

So, has anyone got an idea about it, how we can get into those auction and buy our stuff ?

I heard, in the auction, the items almost goes at throwaway price.

restricted items are not auctioned ... to general public

if they are banned ... like drugs / firearms then they are destroyed
after due approval. ( or if a legal calibre weapon .. then auctioned to licence holders)

most likely in the case of these toys ... they are auctioned to
parties who have the requisite permits.


So no.... you cannot get a brand new DJI at a throwaway price.

So do we have a list of companies or individuals who have been permitted the DGCA license to import ??

Can we simply contact them and ask them to custom clear our drone and pay them for their time and help ?

these are people  called "clearing agents"


look up your local yellow pages.

No the customs said, DGCA APPROVED IMPORT LICENSE HOLDER CAN COME AND CLEAR YOUR SHIPMENT BY PAYING THE DUTY.
My invoice is 99850 INR and duty amount is 20%, so I even asked them to take immediate cash payment of duty, but they denied to give me.

have you tried contacting a clearing agent ?

duty payable is normally through a treasury challan .

(I forgot to add that for postal packages... duty may also be
 collected by the destination Post Office)

yes, I went to the airport yesyerday with a top level CHA and the customs simply denied it to either give me or even re send it back to the hongkong to my friend who is going to hongkong tonight back.

They simply denied, Im sure, this is against the custom rule, but they are the boss there.

I asked a customs lawyer and he said, customs have no authority to confiscate it, if the visitor is ready to take back the box with him.

God save this country!

send a letter through registered post A/D to the concerned Asst. Commisioner
giving the details

Im going to do that soon, this is insane.
You cannot simply tell not to give it back.

Indian customs are filthy corrupt.

I don't know why people try to bring drones inspite of knowing that these are banned. I have seen some people in this forum advising others to take the risk. But if and when you get caught, know that it will be confiscated.

The issue of corruption comes when they take bribe and release the goods. In this case they just followed the rules made by the government and did not ask for a bribe.

What the customs lawyer said (that customs has no authority to confiscate it, if the visitor is ready to take back the box with him) is not totally true. If the passenger did not declare the item in the customs declaration form and tried to smuggle it, customs has every right to confiscate it. Re-export is customs' discretion. Only in cases where the passenger has declared the drone on his own can re-export be allowed.

Still, the person who has brought it can appeal against adjudication order. There are several levels of appeal possible. In such appeal, he can ask for re-export. Only problem is that if re-export is allowed, he has to come and take it back.

The passenger has authorized me on his behalf, but he is also ready to come to India and take it, if the customs allow.
but the customs are simply denying.

I guess, the customs uncle has already found a customer outside the airport for my mavic!

You ordered it online and shipped via courier and you expect them to hand it you for your word that that your friend who is going HK will take it with him back.

I ordered it from the vendor, and vendor handed it over to my friend who was coming from Hongkong to Mumbai to meet me.
And now he has returned back to hongkong and signed authorization letter on my name, so that  I can tell customs to hand over the pos to me, when Im going to hongkong, but those a$$holes are crazy, they are denying to even take back to Hongkong.

Since you said that you where going to HK to buy it again, I thought you ordered it online.
BTW what makes you think you would do better getting it yourself.How did your friend pack it,did he declare it.

He made a big mistake!
He carried the whole white box with the ploythene even just to surprise me with the new box, sadly the surprise was "customs detention receipt".

And Im just too angry, so would waste the money again, fly myself to hongkong, buy again, and bring it myself, will throw the box and hongkong itself, and put it in my LowePro backpack mixed with my Canon SLR and lenses, and if in case the mumbai customs scan my camera bag and ask about it, I will simply tell its a camera, my personal camera.