Preity Zinta's baggage held by customs

Actress Preity Zinta's baggage was not cleared by the Customs department at the international airport when she returned from Colombo on May 28. 

As per government rules, a passenger who has no goods to declare at the Customs check can pass through the green channel at the airport and Preity passed the green channel with her handbag and when she was stopped by an Air Intelligence Unit batch which was headed by deputy commissioner of Customs Sameer Wankhede she clearly stated that she had no other bags with her.

But after about half-an-hour, three of her staff which included her personal assistant, a make-up man and another person, arrived with eight bags out of which four were handbags and all those four bags had tags with Preity Zinta’s name on it.

But the Custom authorities found it against rule and refused to clear the bags and said that the actress should have been present at the airport. After which the customs department summoned Preity on the very same day (28th May, 2012) but instead of the actress, her brother was sent with an authorization letter to pick her bags. PM Saleem The commissioner of Customs confirmed the news. 

Though most of her luggage was cleared but two antique looking and possibly expensive Buddha statues which were also found in her baggage were seized whose value will be checked and then an accurate duty will be charged. A customs official said that, “We will now ascertain the statues’ value.” The Customs will charge duty on the statues if their value exceeds Rs. 35,000.

Preity said that the two Buddha statues were gifted to her.

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- Unknown Updated at: Thursday, June 07, 2012