Customs officials said they caught a passenger trying to smuggle in 23 iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here.
The passenger boarded Thai Airways’ flight TG 325 from Bangkok at 8.15 pm (IST) on Saturday and landed at the Bengaluru airport at 11.54 pm.
Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials used behavioral analysis and profiling to take the passenger aside for questioning.
A search revealed the presence of smartphones worth Rs 34.47 lakh in the luggage.
The phones were seized and the passenger was arrested, customs officials said.
iPhone smuggling into India is considered lucrative because of the significant difference in prices overseas.
An iPhone 14 Pro Max (128 GB) sells for 44,900 bahts in Thailand, which translates to about Rs 97,442. In India, the same model costs Rs 1,39,900.