New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday uncovered an alleged attempt to bypass India’s ban on imports from Pakistan by routing goods through a third country and misdeclaring their origin.
In the operation, officials seized 364 metric tonnes of dry dates worth around Rs 3 crore at Gujarat’s Kandla Port.
According to the Ministry of Finance, DRI officers intercepted 13 containers carrying the dry dates after receiving specific intelligence inputs.
Although the consignments were declared as products originating from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), investigations found that the goods were actually sourced from Pakistan.
“Investigation revealed that the goods, though declared as originating from the UAE, were in fact of Pakistan origin,” the ministry stated.
The probe revealed that the dry dates were first transported from Pakistan to Dubai, where they were shifted into another set of containers before being shipped to India.
Officials alleged that the importers concealed key information and falsely declared the country of origin to evade India’s prohibition on the import of Pakistan-origin goods.
Following the findings, the entire consignment was seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The latest seizure comes days after the DRI detected another alleged attempt to import Pakistan-origin goods through fraudulent documentation.
Last week, officials intercepted around 14 metric tonnes of Guggul resin valued at approximately Rs 1.4 crore at Tuticorin Port.
The consignment had been declared as natural resin from Somalia and routed through Dubai.
However, investigations established that the shipment actually contained Guggul resin of Pakistani origin.
Authorities also found that forged documents had been used to facilitate the transshipment. Two individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy were arrested.
Guggul resin, obtained from the Commiphora species, is native to arid regions of India and Pakistan.
The 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.
(IANS)
