Indian authorities seized a massive haul of illegal walkie-talkies and e-waste at Nhava Sheva Port, highlighting concerns over national security and unauthorised imports.
Key Points
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized Rs 9.25 crore worth of illegal walkie-talkies and second-hand hard drives at Nhava Sheva Port.
- Two Mumbai firm owners were arrested for importing the prohibited goods without necessary permissions under the Customs Act.
- The seized Baofeng BF-888S walkie-talkies are blacklisted for operating on unauthorised frequencies, posing a potential national security threat.
- Importing second-hand hard disk drives (HDDs) requires authorisation from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, which the importers lacked.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 11,060 prohibited walkie-talkie sets and second-hand hard disk drives (HDDs) collectively valued at Rs 9.25 crore at Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai, officials said.
A father-son duo, owners of two Mumbai firms that had imported these goods without due permissions, have been arrested under the Customs Act, an official release said on Saturday.
Based on specific intelligence, a team of DRI officials seized Baofeng BF-888S walkie-talkies of Rs 2.5 crore, and second-hand HDDs (considered e-waste) valued at Rs 6.75 crore.
The banned items were concealed among miscellaneous electronic products valued at Rs 21 crore. The entire consignment of Rs 30.25 crore from eight containers shipped from China was seized for misdeclaration, officials said.
National Security Concerns
The Baofeng BF-888S walkie-talkies have been blacklisted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for operating beyond permissible frequencies as they can be used for unauthorised communication, posing a threat to national security. These devices require specific licences.
Second-hand HDDs also can not be imported without the Directorate General of Foreign Trade's authorisation.
© 2026