Massager or battery gizmo? How a code turns into a controversy

Social media cries of tax ‘harassment’ fail to recognize the actual problem—grey areas in an outdated classification system

- T.C.A. ANANT

It began, as these things now often do, on social media, when a post went viral alleging arbitrariness and corruption in Chennai Customs.

The controversy centred around a shipment of personal massagers with rechargeable batteries, which were detained over a purported misdeclaration on their import. Within hours, hashtags accused the authorities of “harassing businesses” and “confusing tax codes.” The online narrative quickly painted the episode as yet another instance of Indian red tape. But the issue was not Indian at all—the World Customs Organisation (WCO) has flagged lithium-ion batteries as a frequent category of misdeclared goods because they pose hazardous-good risks. Many jurisdictions have created special rules for the declaration of products containing lithium-ion batteries.