Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Ten Military-Grade Drones Seized From Three Passengers at Delhi Airport
Officials at Delhi airport stopped three Indian passengers.
The passengers had arrived from Hong Kong through Vietnam.
Customs officers found 10 large, professional drones in their luggage.
The drones were worth more than ₹1.03 crore.
They had special tools for seeing heat and measuring distances with lasers.
An engineering assessment said the drones were military- or defence-grade.
The passengers were detained and the drones were seized under customs law.
Officials said the investigation is continuing.
Three Indian passengers were intercepted at Delhi airport after arriving from Hong Kong through Vietnam on September 25.
Customs officers recovered 10 professional-grade drones valued at more than ₹1.03 crore.
The drones included thermal imaging and laser range-finding equipment and were described as military- or defence-grade UAVs.
The baggage also contained controllers, camera-equipped gimbals, cables, propellers and joysticks.
The passengers were apprehended and the drones seized under the Customs Act, 1962; further investigation is underway.
- Who
- Three Indian passengers and Delhi Customs officials.
- What
- Ten professional-grade drones and their accessories were seized.
- When
- The passengers arrived on September 25; the seizure was reported on September 29, 2026.
- Where
- Terminal-3 at Delhi airport, after the passengers arrived through Vietnam from Hong Kong.
- Why
- Customs officers intercepted them based on intelligence and found drones assessed as military- or defence-grade UAVs requiring registration.
- Drones seized
- 10
- Estimated value
- More than ₹1.03 crore
- Passengers
- Three Indian passengers
- Arrival route
- Hong Kong through Vietnam to Delhi
- Equipment
- Thermal imaging and laser range finders
- Additional items
- Controllers, camera-equipped gimbals, cables, propellers and joysticks
- Legal action
- Goods seized under the Customs Act, 1962