Shoopers keep customs men on toes
those getting good deals at dubai shopping festival are evading duty
The on-going Dubai shopping festival has been keeping customs officials on their toes for the last 25 days. They have caught at least eight to 10 passengers daily for not declaring gold and television sets bought from Dubai.
According to customs officials, most of the cases have been lodged against people who had gone to Dubai on a holiday with their family members. “During this festival, people get really good deals in Dubai. On each television set, there is a discount of Rs15,000. That’s why most of the families came back with TV sets,” said a customs officer.
Dubai is known for quality gold-making and it’s little more reasonable than in India — a USP that has always attracted visitors.
But customs officers feel that it doesn’t make much of a difference whether you buy from India or Dubai. “There is hardly any difference in the price of gold here and Dubai. The making is a little better there, but it has become a trend to buy gold from there. There are many cases where we have caught people who bought branded jewellery from Dubai, which is available in all Indian cities,” said the officer.
“It has been found that people going for the Dubai shopping festival have been coming back with gold jewellery and television sets due to good discounts,” said Mahindra Pal, additional commissioner of customs.
In order to avoid paying customs duty, a majority of the people wear the jewellery and then go to the customs counter.
“We have started checking the baggage and luggage of people who we found wearing extra jewellery. If we find bills and boxes of jewellery, then we book the person after cross-checking,” said the officer.
The Dubai shopping festival began on January 5 and will end in the first week of February. Apart from bringing gold and television sets, passengers coming from the festival have been carrying costly perfumes.
those getting good deals at dubai shopping festival are evading duty
The on-going Dubai shopping festival has been keeping customs officials on their toes for the last 25 days. They have caught at least eight to 10 passengers daily for not declaring gold and television sets bought from Dubai.
According to customs officials, most of the cases have been lodged against people who had gone to Dubai on a holiday with their family members. “During this festival, people get really good deals in Dubai. On each television set, there is a discount of Rs15,000. That’s why most of the families came back with TV sets,” said a customs officer.
Dubai is known for quality gold-making and it’s little more reasonable than in India — a USP that has always attracted visitors.
But customs officers feel that it doesn’t make much of a difference whether you buy from India or Dubai. “There is hardly any difference in the price of gold here and Dubai. The making is a little better there, but it has become a trend to buy gold from there. There are many cases where we have caught people who bought branded jewellery from Dubai, which is available in all Indian cities,” said the officer.
“It has been found that people going for the Dubai shopping festival have been coming back with gold jewellery and television sets due to good discounts,” said Mahindra Pal, additional commissioner of customs.
In order to avoid paying customs duty, a majority of the people wear the jewellery and then go to the customs counter.
“We have started checking the baggage and luggage of people who we found wearing extra jewellery. If we find bills and boxes of jewellery, then we book the person after cross-checking,” said the officer.
The Dubai shopping festival began on January 5 and will end in the first week of February. Apart from bringing gold and television sets, passengers coming from the festival have been carrying costly perfumes.
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