Delhi HC says Customs Cannot Detain Gold Indefinitely Without Due Process

The Customs Department detained three cut pieces of gold weighing 233 grams from Intzar Ahmad, a passenger arriving from Saudi Arabia, in May 2023. No show cause notice or adjudication order followed. The Delhi High Court held that a standard-form waiver of notice and personal hearing could not displace the mandatory safeguards under Section 124 of the Customs Act, 1962. It directed release of the gold against payment of applicable customs duty and warehousing charges, without penalty or redemption fine. The Supreme Court dismissed the Department’s challenge on 16 October 2026.