Customs officers impound 'World Cup trophy'

MUMBAI: The customs officers at Mumbai airport have seized what they believed to be the trophy of the Cricket World Cup in a dispute over duty, according to Indian media.

An official from the sports governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC) came up with the trophy on Thursday on a flight from Colombo, where she had been exposed during the New Zealand Sri Lanka in the semifinals.

But customs officers seized the silver and gold, which is valued at approximately $ 130,000, insisting he was not exempt from import duties of about $ 50,000.

The Mumbai Mirror tabloid said the officers offered to waive the fee if they could get tickets for the final between India and Sri Lanka, held in the city on Saturday.

"We can say they asked a large number of tickets," an unnamed official of the ICC was quoted as saying.

The daily said the officers were confused when we told them to keep up the trophy after the final, where the ICC would it take to their headquarters in Dubai.

They were unaware that there were two identical trophies and the other was in Mumbai Wankhede Stadium for the last month waiting for the winning captain, added the report. (AFP)