I'm with the doubters here but consider: maybe all he's got with him to take a picture is the iPad mini. It's hard to take a picture of the camera if it's the only camera you have with you. If he's in college, the box might be back at the dorm/apt. Maybe he's just playing with his new toy?
For many, a receipt of purchase is pretty strong evidence a purchase was made. You can get rebates, etc as long as you have a receipt. I usually tuck receipts in my wallet so it would be plausible that he might have that with him.
If he's still checking this thread and the above is the case, I suggest finding a mirror around somewhere and taking a picture of the reflection of the iPad Mini.
There are some unboxing photos from France in another thread
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1480127/, so its not like every single Mini in the world is so locked down it would be impossible for someone to possess one today.