Customs at Hyderabad RGIA uncover ₹3 crore smuggling racket involving drones, iPhones, and iWatches. Two passengers from Abu Dhabi detained for questioning.

Customs officials at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) intercepted a major smuggling bid late Tuesday, seizing drones, iPhones, iWatches, and gaming consoles worth around ₹3 crore. Two passengers Mohd Jahangir from Chennai and C. Jayaram Raju from Nellore — arriving on an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi, were caught trying to bypass customs checks.

Authorities discovered eight high-end drones, 65 iPhones, 50 Apple Watches, and four gaming consoles hidden in their luggage. Both men were taken into custody, with officials suspecting their links to a broader network smuggling premium electronics from Gulf nations.

Analysis: The bust highlights the growing use of air routes for high-value electronic smuggling into India, driven by sharp price gaps and rising demand. Hyderabad’s RGIA, one of the busiest international airports in the south, continues to be a hotspot for such operations underscoring the need for tighter surveillance and coordinated intelligence sharing among enforcement agencies.