help required as air rifle is detained at airport

[druzba87]

This is Shaikh Moin from Mumbai. I brought a Diana .177 model 54, as personal Baggage.on 02.03.2012 at Mumbai airport
My airgun was detained, & the next day i went to seek a NOC.
The arms section has stopped issuing NOC since july 2011.
they have send a letter to the Commisioner of Custom in this regard.
Now the situation is this.
1. police won';t issue NOC
2. Customs are not releasing the airgun
3. Membership of sports club also is a must, they say even via baggage rule



Can anyone give suggestion or a copy of official circular to their above demands

[marksman]

Seems Maharashtra Rifle Association secretary has issued a letter to Mumbai Customs stating that no import of .177 airgun should be allowed unless the person has a covering letter from them stating he/she is a member of a club affiliated to MRA. This way I guess they can control the inflow of air guns which could have been freely imported by people who may not have paid a fat fees to become club members and would do so eventually to have their merchandize released. Well, everybody needs money to pursue and promote the sport shooting activities. It's incidental that there is a steep fee hike for membership.

Marksman

[goodboy_mentor]

Please do not put your mobile number or other personal details on publicly viewable forum. We all can communicate via PM instead. Hope you have already read this thread http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3481 Police appears correct, probably they are not obligated to issue NOC under law. Why should they do unnecessary work when not required by law? Instead you may get your airgun certified from a government forensic lab that it passes the deal wood test as required for the exemption from applicable provisions of Arms Act 1959.

Please understand a basic thing that personal liberty is guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. You have the personal liberty guaranteed unless that liberty is regulated, restricted or forbidden by law.

Article 21. Protection of life and personal liberty: No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law

Therefore if Customs want to regulate or restrict your personal liberty to bring airgun with your personal baggage, they need a law to support their action. Whatever Customs are asking, ask them to give it in writing with proper reference to the applicable laws for personal baggage, that says you need a police NOC and need to be a member of rifle club. If they are not willing to give the required information, then do an RTI application asking for the same information.

Maharashtra Rifle Association is not a legislative body to make laws and Customs are not legally required to follow Maharashtra Rifle Association. Instead the Customs are required to follow the law made by Parliament of India.

Unless we all stand united, we are bound to suffer separately. This is just the beginning of problems. Let us nip this evil in bud. Therefore I request you and all to join NAGRI so that we can fight for our rights and not have to suffer separately.

"We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin

[FPSRussia]

Well, this is the irony for us. As dear Marksman quote, 'you have to pay a fat membership fee to be able to import''....Its like allowing few ppl to have guns and depriving others(the majority) in the sake of some weird laws...no wonder you got your rifle confiscated...hope you will craft a way out of this situation...


Good luck and Godspeed

[druzba87]

The file is put up with the Commisioner of Customs (airport ) Mumbai.

They will decide on it on Monday 12.03

The Deputy Comm, has commented that the DGFT has issue new circular in 2012 ,
banning the imports of Air rifle.

Any one heard about this new circular ??

Pls let me know

[goodboy_mentor]

Well, this is the irony for us.

Isn't the "irony" to some extent our own creation? Rather than understanding and attacking the root cause of problem, most of us want to "craft" our way out. A time comes if the root cause is not addressed, all "crafts" are outwitted by your opponents and your head is put in a guillotine. Isn't paying a pay a fat membership fee to be able to import something similar to a guillotine?

The Deputy Comm, has commented that the DGFT has issue new circular in 2012

Probably Deputy Commissioner is talking about some circular issued after Delhi High Court judgment saying that airguns need license under Arms Act 1959. But this judgment has been stayed by Supreme Court. You may read the stay order on Supreme Court website. Copy of the same stay order has also been put up here http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php ... 15#p155703 If this is the case then you may officially submit copy of the Supreme Court stay order to Customs.

[Hammerhead]

Well, this is the irony for us. As dear Marksman quote, 'you have to pay a fat membership fee to be able to import''....Its like allowing few ppl to have guns and depriving others(the majority) in the sake of some weird laws...no wonder you got your rifle confiscated...hope you will craft a way out of this situation...


Good luck and Godspeed

Good one ......

As I mentioned before , by the time you get your air gun back , half of the parts be gone missing . If you have added other parts like scope or extra peep sights or extra trigger , be gone now . My friend been through all this.

Good luck if you are not charged - Haji

[Ganesh TT]

i think you have wasted the money and the time to bring your air rifle. customs are very strict on their rules and regulations. They will not allow the air guns unti you provide them the NoC or the club membership to them..any way all the very best for your confidence to bring it to your home. if you bring home your rifle, we all ifgians will celebrate your happiness..