Yes it is a nice find, the guy who writes the blog is retired from Central Excise and Customs and does the blog thing with the aim of educating people on the provsions of law relating to export and import for personal use

My Hobby city parcel got stopped. I was just asked for IE code etc, I just gave an undertaking along with invoce, payment details etc that its for personal use and was released with 14.71% customs.

My next parcel from US has also been stopped, need to visit them tomorrow.

Then i would call it shear luck that both my parcels were stuck in customs... i am so frustrated now... they are not even accepting to take the custom duty... they want a NOC... they are so stubborn... uff... I hate that fat guy... they have sealed  my parcel... what do they want... they are just asking for DGCA NOC DGCA NOC... i told them it is for my personal project... i gotta complete it... just take the duty... it is for me...

Is it adivsable to send back the parcel and then get it shipped again in some other name and address...!!!!!!???

What is the nature of the products in the parcel? What was mentioned on the parcel? Was the value too high?

it contains a radio set, 2 HK Gyros, pc cable, 4 servos and many many wires...

One thing that seems to work in such cases is to go through a "clearing agent".  These folks seem to have personal contacts with many officials, and can help expedite things. For a fee, of course !

And if push comes to shove, go with what Capt Manish said... ask them in writing which section it is under which they have detained the goods, and try to put pressure via RTI.  You can expect the reply from DCGA to be "it is not a matter that is under our jurisdiction", so you can try to convey that angle to postal guys too. 

Quote from: mail4ajo on June 04, 2010, 08:30:11 PM
My Hobby city parcel got stopped. I was just asked for IE code etc, I just gave an undertaking along with invoce, payment details etc that its for personal use and was released with 14.71% customs.

My next parcel from US has also been stopped, need to visit them tomorrow.

He He! looks like they have you marked as well like me. Yes 14.xx % is the correct rate of duty on personal import the base rate is 10%. Also you do not need to even visit them you can send your declaration and invoice copy by post if you are not in a hurry

yeah... ill try that tomorrow. ill definately get in writing that what is wrong and why are they not leting in my parcel... i have contacted a clearing agent... will finalise the talks on monday... he says he can take care of the future parcels for sure... but he isnt sure of this parcel as it is gone into the detention room. and if he tells anyone to take it out or try to get it passed... other employees will object to it and ask for letter of authority from assistant comissioner.... but still ill give it a try...

Quote from: anam_funny on June 04, 2010, 09:24:21 PM
it contains a radio set, 2 HK Gyros, pc cable, 4 servos and many many wires...

Hmm! no wonder your parcel is stuck. It has the radio which is on restricted list. They have all the rights to stop it if you do not have type approval certificate for the radio, they can also classify all the other components as radio parts/accessories and no amount of RTI or other written applications would get it out if they decide to detain it
All the best to you

yes I think radio imports are not allowed.

Quote from: prashant on June 04, 2010, 09:56:34 PM
yes I think radio imports are not allowed.

It is allowed but on fullfilling certain conditions etc

Quote from: flyingboxcar on June 04, 2010, 10:30:57 PM
It is allowed but on fullfilling certain conditions etc

A friend got a Spektrum car radio from HK dealer, without no issues. Just came through.

I didnt know you can give declaration and other docs through post. Does it work?

Quote from: flyingboxcar on June 04, 2010, 10:30:57 PM
It is allowed but on fullfilling certain conditions etc

Couple of things to note here....

1.  We have at least one case of a radio being detained (at least "held for some time"), but being released when relevant documentation was submitted :

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-general-topics/technical-spec-of-2-4ghz-blitzrcworks-tornado-3d-aerobatic-rtf-1766/msg16432/#msg16432

2.  Now here is real deal with radio imports and legality.  Most of this came from a member of this forum, who may identify himself if he chooses so (probably at a more opportune time later). The information was collected by directly visiting the regional WPC office in his city.

Radio imports into India consists of two parts.

2a)  WPC type approval : This is the first step, and validates that this equipment is safe for use (both for humans and non-interference with other devices, verification of transmission power limits etc).  Once a particular model of equipment is approved, all such models are approved.  Such approval is subject legalized bands (27Mhz and 2.4Ghz currently).  There are 5 models currently approved.  To get WPC approval, there is some application process, involving submissions of FCC/CE testing data etc.

2b) Import approval/license from WPC : Any *individual* or shop can apply for import license for any type approved equipment.  Note that even individuals can apply. There is a Rs500 fee.  This other forum member is trying to get import license for couple of models, and I am personally trying to get approval for a Futaba 8FG, just to see what it takes. 

Any radio that does not satisfy both above conditions are not legally valid in India. This is also why Indian Hobbies claim that their radios are *fully* legal, as they satisfy both conditions.  But it should also be noted that ANY person can apply for an import license for any one of the 5 already type approved radios, making his radio imported from outside fully legal, as long as he gets the import license also from WPC BEFORE importing it (per WPC officials).

Hopefully this settles/clarifies the "radio legality" arguments. If you read between the lines, this is another big reason why 2.4Ghz may be a better choice going forward.

Quote from: anam_funny on June 04, 2010, 09:24:21 PM
it contains a radio set, 2 HK Gyros, pc cable, 4 servos and many many wires...

RADIO !! Hahhh.... you should have at least read miserable storied like that of mine ! When you can get the Bio data of that  chick appearing first time on a movie, getting info on importing R/C stuff, specially like Radio which has been talked so much about, shouldn't  have been so hard... common

Anwar bhai,
Capt's advice for RTI would hold good for non Radio Tx items only. I have had enough discussion with the very near relative of mine who is  high ranked customs official. He clearly showed me his hand book where our Tx falls under restricted category. the additional WPC approval is already  talked about in length in the forum. Apart from Radio, Anam has a case on other items which Customs cannot cease just on the pretext of the R/C plane episode in Mumbai. But the fact that other items are along with radio further complicated the matter.

Quote from: anam_funny on June 04, 2010, 09:24:21 PM
it contains a radio set, 2 HK Gyros, pc cable, 4 servos and many many wires...

how many radio have u ordered still today
they have noted u when u ordered 1st radio



dude u require import licence to buy lot of radios

Got my parcel released today, Same declaration and docs. I checked and they said that I could clear through post too. Thanks Capt

had a tlk with the officer incharge in customs... will get it out on wednesday... not officially but unofficially... i dont know that he will take some money or not... but atleast my parcel will be realased... thank god...

On the basis of the discussions in this thread, i asked the same question to the officer incharge... that why is that some parcels are released and some are not... he laughed and said that it is uncertain that who checks the parcels... they are released on strict checking... he said that we are not allowed to release parcels which have hobby parts... but after duscussions with the Assistant comissioner some parcels are released after a month or so... but your parcel contains a radio set and batteries so your parcel was detained...

ill tlk to him more when i will go to claim the parcel... i still cant get that why did he block my parcel... my other parcels which came before arrived with no hurdles... its too difficult to understand these govt officials minds... BIG PUZZLE....

Oops, too many details

Quote from: anam_funny on June 05, 2010, 11:50:42 PM

...
...
he said that we are not allowed to release parcels which have hobby parts... but after duscussions with the Assistant comissioner some parcels are released after a month or so... but your parcel contains a radio set and batteries so your parcel was detained...

Anam, please be informed. Kindly don't discuss any thing on this open forum which is again intellectual property or against the LAW of land. As the Moderator Anwar said above, please refrain putting such intrinsic details in open. You can always guide needful on PM with your experience.

Well as far as Customs saying they are not allowing 'Hobby' items, this is TOTALLY against Customs HS classification which does not have general hobby items, raging from coins, adventure sports, electronics etc as **Restricted** an individual Custom house cannot have their own written list and you can certainly file a RTI asking how when the hell Republic of India barred its citizens fulfilling their legitimate technologically inclined hobby from procuring the necessary from abroad even after paying duties.

Apart from Radios, they CANT, I mean can't, bar Servos, BL Motors, ESC, or Lipo (though Lipos do hav extra anti dumping cess) just on the pretext that they could be used in making R/C Planes. Withstanding temporary ban on 'Chinese' planes, I guess making model plane for technology/hobby quest is not banned, when even peanut butter and Agricultural Urea could be used to make bombs!! They are yet not declared as making Guns/Bombs  at home. R/C planes Cannot be classified as Pyrotechnic devices even they could explode on accident.

I hope this 'illegal' curb is not handi-work of people having conflicting interest to individuals importing R/C stuff and influenced officials to harass individual hobbyist.

What ever might be the reason. I think that even if they have some rules... they should verify the parcels, our identity and release the parcels ASAP... Why should we, the common people, GENUINE PEROPLE...  suffer due to someone else's mistakes or actions...

I am pretty curious why a particular question was often repeated but never got answered?
If you missed it, "it was how many radios have you imported till date?"

i have imported 2... but didnt have problems with the previous one..

so far i can understand from this thread that radios cant be imported i.e there is all possibility that the customs may hold your package.
My question is , whether there will be a problem when i buy a radio  abroad and carry it long with me in baggage?

Quote from: amulu10 on June 10, 2010, 12:51:02 AM
My question is , whether there will be a problem when i buy a radio  abroad and carry it long with me in baggage?

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-general-topics/airport-customs-issues/msg19005/#msg19005 (and the rest of this thread).
http://www.rcindia.org/chatter-zone/help-with-customs/msg11239/#msg11239 (and the rest of this thread too).

Short answer, almost never a problem so far, unless YOU overdo it.  Like most things in life, there is no 100% guarantee, but till date, it is pretty close !

thanks Anwar bhai for the quick reply! I am in a big dilemma as I  already have a funjet ,couple of servos  and power pack for the funjet ,dremel 300 delivered to me here in Texas, dono if i am pushing my luck too far if i order a radio! but the sweet deals are tempting me!