September 12, 2026

Section 125. Option to Pay Fine in Lieu of Confiscation – Customs Act, 1962

Customs Act, 1962 — Chapter XIV: Confiscation of Goods and Conveyances and Imposition of Penalties

125. Option to pay fine in lieu of confiscation

  1. Whenever confiscation of goods is authorised, the officer adjudging it may give the owner (or, where the owner is not known, the person from whose possession/custody the goods were seized) an option to pay, in lieu of confiscation, a fine as the officer thinks fit — mandatory where the goods are prohibited, and optional in other cases — in addition to any duty and charges payable.
  2. Where the fine is paid, the owner/person is also liable to any duty and charges payable in respect of the goods.
  3. Where the goods are, after confiscation, required to be re-exported under any law, the fine imposed shall not prevent such re-export.