- Bribe Fighter
- 13 years ago
- 3419 views
Mumbai International airport iPAD harassment.
About 2 months ago, I was visting Mumbai and had a personal use laptop with me (and no other valuables). I was stopped at the green channel and the police sepoy asked me to talk to the custom officer on duty. I told the officer it was my personal use iPAD and this should be allowed because a laptop is allowed. He said iPAD is not laptop and I would have to pay duty. I also told him that I am allowed an additional 25,000 Rupees of goods and thus even if the iPAD was not considered laptop I should not have to pay. He was taken back by my knowledge of the rules, but then changed his tactic to argue the iPAD was worth more than 25K. (It was not - and this guy was even knowledgable he asked me how many gigs it had). He asked me for a receipt. I told him I did not have it as it was old personal machine. But he kept insisting I settle it amicably.
The way he mentioned and his body language clearly asked for a bribe. He said he could settle it quickly. I was livid and told him that I would not pay a bribe or duty as I believed it was not needed. I also told that he should give it in writing and give me a receipt and I would be happy to pay the official duty.
I said this loudly so everyone around me could hear. At that point, the original police sepoy intervened and said, sahab let him go. The custom officer at that point said ok you can go this time. I was of course angry for being treated like a petty theif trying to dodge taxes (which I was not). But I was too tired so just walked out.