Cracking down on smuggling, Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday caught a female passenger who was attempting to smuggle 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max devices from Hong Kong to Delhi. The iPhone 16 series was launched earlier this month and the Pro Max is Apple’s most premium flagship phone. Here is what happened.

According to ANI report, the arrest took place following specific intelligence inputs, which led Customs officials to stop the passenger on arrival. The iPhone was cleverly hidden in a vanity bag, which was apparently wrapped in tissue paper in an effort to avoid detection.

“Acting on intelligence, Delhi Airport Customs intercepted a female passenger traveling from Hong Kong to Delhi carrying 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max hidden inside her vanity bag,” an official spokesperson confirmed.

If we look at the Indian price of iPhone 16 series, the market value of the seized iPhone is quite huge. The price of iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,44,900 for the 256GB variant, while the 512GB and 1TB models are priced at Rs 1,64,900 and Rs 1,84,900 respectively.

Customs officials have indicated that further investigation is underway to understand the broader implications of this case, including any possible networks involved in the smuggling operation.

As the demand for the latest iPhone models is continuously increasing in India, the authorities are on high alert to stop illegal imports. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that something like this has happened because every year we hear such news.