Hidden cigarettes and iPhones seized from passengers on Dubai flight to Delhi

Saffron also smuggled by four passengers from Nepal on Air India flight

Delhi Airport customs officers seized cigarettes, saffron and iPhones and its battery packs.

Apple iPhones, battery packs and cigarettes were among a haul of contraband worth more than Dh260,000 ($70,796) seized from a group of passengers trying to dodge import duties when entering Delhi on a flight from Dubai.

Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 2 intercepted a large quantity of undeclared cigarettes and a spice, saffron, as well as the iPhones and replacement batteries.

Delhi Airport customs officers arrested four Nepalese passengers on Air India flight AI916 who had not declared the items.

Saffron imported into India attracts a 30 per cent customs duty.

The seizure was one of several made recently. On Dubai to India flights last month, gold was found hidden in mobile phones and passengers' body cavities.

Officials said they are on high alert for people trying to dodge India's luxury tax, which must be paid on arrival and is often more than 10 per cent of the total gold value.

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