- I Paid A Bribe
- 14 years ago
- 280 views
50$ for personal laptop
The bangalore customs have devised a very clever way to get money. They screen luggages before you leave the immigration and if they think the suitcase has some electronics or anything valuable, they will mark your luggage. In my case they marked my hand luggage and wrote 2 laptops.
I was apparently stopped by the custom officer and he asked me if I have two laptops. I explained him that one is office laptop and other is my personal one.
Then he took me to some side room which I believe has no cameras set.
So this guy simply started making some numbers and told me that I have to pay around 25K INR duty for the extra laptop. I told him he could keep my personal laptop instead and its not worth that amount. He laughed and said that is not the solution.
He said he can make it less if I can pay him something. I was in no position to argue or fight with him, it was 4 in the morning and I just landed after 24 hrs journey. I asked him how much I should pay and he said 50$ and I gave and he very happily sent me out.
My connecting flight was from Dubai and I felt really bad when I saw people who looked like they were making paltry were also demanded bribe for the small TV of some toys that they came with. I am assuming those people might have toiled a lot and saved to buy those and in the end they have to pay bribe for these monsters.
Baseline: I have decided to equip myself with a spy cam and carry two laptops next time. If the same thing happens, hopefully I can record and post it over the internet.