The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 39 containers carrying 1,115 metric tonnes of Pakistani goods valued at approximately Rs 9 crore at the Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai, officials said.
In an operation codenamed “Operation Deep Manifest”, the illegal import of Pakistani-origin goods routed through third countries, primarily via Dubai, UAE, has been busted, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The goods being shipped into India were in blatant violation of import policy conditions and prohibitions imposed by the government on direct or indirect import or transit of Pakistani-origin goods.
The finance ministry said one of the partners of an importing firm was arrested on June 26.
Following the Pahalgam terror attacks, the government had imposed a comprehensive ban, effective May 2, 2025, on the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan.
Previously, such goods were subject to a 200 per cent customs duty.
Despite these stringent measures, some importers attempt to bypass the government policy by misdeclaring the origin of goods and by manipulating the related shipping documents, the finance ministry said.
“In two separate cases, these consignments were seized at Nhava Sheva port. The consignments were falsely declared as UAE-origin, masking their Pakistani origin. However, investigations revealed that these goods actually originated from Pakistan and were merely transshipped via Dubai for import into India,” the Ministry of Finance statement read.
Investigations revealed that the goods were initially transported from Pakistan to Dubai on one set of containers and vessels, and subsequently transferred to another set of containers and vessels bound for India.
Further examination of goods and analysis of documents gathered during investigations conducted so far uncovered cargo movement trails from Karachi port, Pakistan, and transshipments at Jabel Ali port, Dubai – en route to Indian ports.
Furthermore, money transfers/financial linkages with Pakistani entities were traced, raising serious concerns about illicit financial flows.
“The entire modus operandi was orchestrated through a complex web of transactions involving Pakistani and UAE nationals, aimed at obscuring the true origin of the goods, namely Pakistan,” the finance ministry added.
In the context of “Operation Sindoor” and the prevailing heightened security environment, the DRI intensified its vigil through augmented intelligence gathering and data analytics to target consignments emanating from Pakistan.
