DRI seizes dry dates worth ₹9 cr illegally imported from Pak

The 39 containers, seized at the Nhava Sheva port, were imported via Dubai to circumvent the ban on the import of Pakistani goods, imposed after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, said DRI officials

MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 39 cargo containers with 1,115 metric tonnes of dry dates of Pakistani origin, estimated to be worth ₹9 crore. The containers, seized at the Nhava Sheva port, were imported via Dubai to circumvent the ban on the import of Pakistani goods, imposed after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, said DRI officials. The Mumbai-based partner of the firm which imported the dates was arrested on Thursday, the officials added.

DRI seizes dry dates worth ₹9 cr illegally imported from Pak

On May 2, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification that a provision was added in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023 to prohibit direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan with immediate effect. Before the ban was enforced, dry dates imported from Pakistan were subject to 200% customs duty.

“The seizures are significant from the security angle, as they show that goods of Pakistani origin are being routed through other countries,” a DRI official told HT.

Though the consignments were falsely declared as having originated in the United Arab Emirates, examination of the seized goods and analysis of shipping documents showed that they had actually originated from Karachi in Pakistan and were merely trans-shipped via the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, officials said.

“Our investigation revealed that the seized goods were transported from Pakistan to Dubai in one set of containers and vessels and they were subsequently transferred to another set of containers and vessels bound for India,” said a DRI official.

The seizures were part of ‘Operation Deep Manifest’, which seeks to prevent the illegal import of Pakistani-origin goods through other countries, officials said.

“The subsequent probe has traced money transfers/ financial linkages with Pakistani entities, raising concerns about illicit financial flows and a complex web of transactions involving Pakistani and UAE nationals, aimed at obscuring the true origin of the goods,” another DRI official said.