Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters had to pay a heavy duty for her heavy crown when the immigration officers demanded Rs 4 lakhs for her crown. The South African winner was here to judge a beauty contest in NSCI, Worli. Peters was awarded the Miss Universe title with a Mikimoto tiara which costs around Rs 1.77 crore. However, she brought a replica of the diadem instead. Immigration officers stopped her and asked her to wait. They later inquired about the value of the replica and arrived at an estimate of Rs 11 lakh. Officers then asked the former winner to pay 40 per cent customs duty on the crown. There was a lot of confusion on whether duty ought to be levied on the crown or not.
The South African’s queen team informed that the organizers had already informed the customs about the crown and had completed all the formalities. Her publicist told Mid Day, “Her flight was delayed, and by the time it landed, a new shift had begun at the customs. The officers in the earlier shift, who had been informed of her arrival and the needed clearance, had not done a proper handover of the paperwork. So she had to wait until it was done again.”
Mikimoto crown, worth $250,000 (approximately 1.7 crore) is not given to every Miss Universe. Made in Japan, the crown is said to be the most beautiful in the world. The tiara depicts the rising phoenix that signifies status, power, and beauty.
