New Delhi [India], September 14 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized more than 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates under 'Operation Deep Manifest' during an enforcement drive targeting illicit trade conduits.
Acting on specific actionable intelligence, operational teams intercepted 13 cargo containers carrying the consignments at CFS Ambad in Nashik, which a Mumbai-based commercial entity imported.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the shipments arrived via Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by import clearance paperwork that falsely declared the UAE as the sovereign country of origin.
Official findings revealed that the commercial consignment moved through a deliberate routing network designed to mask its true origin. The cargo started its maritime transit from Karachi Port in Pakistan, reaching Jebel Ali Port in the UAE aboard an initial vessel.
"Preliminary investigation revealed a carefully orchestrated transhipment arrangement designed to conceal the Pakistan-origin of the goods," the Ministry stated.
The operational breakdown showed that the illicit cargo underwent minimal physical handling in the Gulf transit hub to obscure the paper trail.
"The dry dates were initially shipped from Karachi Port, Pakistan, to Jebel Ali Port, UAE, in one set of containers aboard one vessel," the official statement noted.
Handlers in the transit zone then re-routed the shipment onto another carrier line, it stated.
"At Jebel Ali, the goods were merely transshipped and transferred to another set of containers and loaded onto a different vessel for onward shipment to India through entities operated by Pakistani nationals," the Ministry confirmed.
Border and port enforcement tightened following regulatory revisions enacted by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in mid-2025.
The Ministry mentioned that following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India, in the interest of national security, imposed a complete prohibition on the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, with effect from 2 May 2025, vide DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26 dated 2 May 2025.
To counter non-compliant import tactics across container terminals, central enforcement authorities launched structured surveillance protocols targeting third-party trade jurisdictions.
"In response, DRI, under 'Operation Deep Manifest', has been consistently identifying, intercepting and seizing Pakistan-origin goods attempted to be imported into India through third-country routing," the Ministry said.
Customs and intelligence officials continue to track intermediate entities connected to commercial paper falsification, fraudulent routing manifests, and proxy transhipment nodes.
"The seizure underscores DRI’s sustained resolve to identify, disrupt and dismantle sophisticated networks seeking to circumvent trade prohibitions through misdeclaration, transhipment and manipulation of documentation, thereby safeguarding national security and straightening supply chain integrity," the Ministry added.