New Delhi: In a crackdown on Islamabad’s attempts to circumvent India’s prohibition on imports from Pakistan, the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) unearthed a case involving the clandestine routing and mis-declaration of Pak-origin goods through third countries.The agency’s operations resulted in the seizure of 13 containers carrying 364 tonnes of Pak-origin dry dates worth Rs 3 crore, imported at Kandla port and declared as originating from the UAE.“Enquiries established that the goods were first transported from Pakistan to Dubai and shifted to another set of containers before being exported to India,” DRI said. The importers mis-declared the country of origin in an attempt to evade the prohibition on import of Pakistan-origin goods, the agency said.In a similar action last week, DRI had seized a consignment of 14 tonnes of Pak-origin Guggul resin valued at Rs 1.4 crore imported at Tuticorin port. The consignment was falsely declared as natural resin originating from Somalia and routed through Dubai.“The Guggul plant (Commiphora), a species endemic to the arid regions of India and Pakistan, is listed in CITES Appendix II and is categorised as critically endangered in the IUCN Red list. Investigation established that the consignment was Guggul resin and was of Pakistani origin and had been trans-shipped using forged documentation,” DRI said. Two persons involved in the conspiracy were arrested in the case.In the Foreign Trade Policy rule amended in 2023, the directorate general of foreign trade had prohibited direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, with effect from May 2025.In another operation, DRI unearthed a clandestine manufacturing facility engaged in the illegal production of psychotropic substances in Satara district of Maharashtra. The operation led to the arrest of two persons.
