Sale of sex toys in Tamil Nadu doubles up in 2 years
- One such parcel is reaching the customs department at Chennai airport daily.
- The department is seizing these items in public interest and calling the buyers and warning them of the consequences.
- The buyers are also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000.
FollowThe import of adult sex toys is going up every year in Tamil Nadu. It was found that at least one parcel containing such item was reaching the Chennai airport daily. However, the customs department is seizing these items in the interest of the maintenance of public order and standards of decency or morality in terms of section 11 (2) (b) of the Customs Act read with a circular dated January 18, 1964. In this circular, it is said that ‘any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation, figure or article’ are prohibited for import.
Majority of the parcels are ordered online or via postal service that land in the postal appraising department of the airport customs in Chennai. These items are shipped from London, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.Â
Inside sources, speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, said that the department received 342 such parcels in the last financial year. A custom official said, "The number was 238 during the 2015-16 fiscal year. During 2014-15 the number was only 169. In a two year period, the demand for such adult sex toys have doubled."
Custom officials have been calling the people who ordered these items and have given them a warning, apart from slapping Rs 5,000 as fine. The officer said, "we found that middle-aged men and women from well to do families ordering import of such things. At least half of them use the address of their drivers and servants to receive such orders."
The sex toys are priced between Rs 300 and Rs 15,000. Some of them are often battery powered. The officials say that regular use of such items can lead to nervous disorder and depression.
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