DRI Uncovers Smuggling Attempt of Pakistan-Origin Goods via UAE
Significant Seizure at Kandla Port
Representational Image
New Delhi, Aug 5: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recently exposed a scheme aimed at circumventing India's import ban on goods from Pakistan by rerouting them through a third nation and misrepresenting their origin.
During this operation, authorities confiscated 364 metric tonnes of dry dates valued at approximately Rs 3 crore at the Kandla Port in Gujarat.
The Ministry of Finance reported that DRI officials intercepted 13 containers of dry dates based on actionable intelligence.
While these shipments were labeled as originating from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), investigations revealed that they were actually sourced from Pakistan.
“The investigation confirmed that the goods, although declared as UAE products, were indeed of Pakistani origin,” stated the ministry.
The inquiry indicated that the dry dates were initially transported from Pakistan to Dubai, where they were transferred into different containers before being sent to India.
Officials accused the importers of hiding crucial information and falsely declaring the country of origin to bypass India's restrictions on imports from Pakistan.
As a result of these findings, the entire shipment was seized under the Customs Act of 1962.
This seizure follows a recent incident where the DRI uncovered another attempt to import goods of Pakistani origin using fraudulent documentation.
Last week, around 14 metric tonnes of Guggul resin, worth about Rs 1.4 crore, were intercepted at Tuticorin Port.
This consignment was falsely declared as natural resin from Somalia and routed through Dubai.
However, investigations confirmed that it contained Guggul resin sourced from Pakistan.
Authorities also discovered that forged documents were utilized to facilitate the transshipment, leading to the arrest of two individuals allegedly involved in the scheme.
Guggul resin, derived from the Commiphora species, is indigenous to arid regions in India and Pakistan.
This plant is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.