Want to lay your hands on an iPhone 7 or 7+ before their launch in India? If you are ready to shell out a few bucks extra - and have no hesitations about accessing the black market - all you need to do is pay a visit to the Palika, Gaffar or Lajpat Nagar bazaars in New Delhi.
BCCL
In what is surely just the tip of the iceberg, customs authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday seized more than 75 pieces of ?iPhone 7 and 7+.
A similar consignment was intercepted recently, taking the total number of phones seized to over 100 in just a week. Customs officials arrested one person for smuggling in the phones worth Rs 46.39 lakh from Hong Kong where the devices were launched recently.
BCCL
The modus operandi is quite simple: The carrier is handed over the consignment at the place of origin (read Hong Kong). He is helped by his accomplices at the airport there for uninterrupted transportation.?
BCCL
After landing in India, the man carries the consignment out of the airport and hands it over to agents. These agents, in turn, supply the devices to local markets for sale.?
During questioning, the accused revealed that he had smuggled in several other consignments recently. Govind Garg, deputy commissioner, customs, said: "The man arrived at T3 early on Saturday. A customs team intercepted him at the Green Channel and searched his baggage. Several iPhones were found in his bag."?