Pakistan-origin dry dates enter India via UAE despite ban; DRI seizes 362 tonnes

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates allegedly brought into India through the UAE to bypass the country’s import ban, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

The seizure followed specific intelligence about 13 containers of dry dates imported by a Mumbai-based firm. DRI officers intercepted the containers at CFS Ambad in Nashik.

The consignments had arrived from Jebel Ali in the UAE. Their import documents declared the UAE as the country of origin.

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Pakistan-To-UAE-To-India Route

A preliminary investigation found that the goods had originally been shipped from Karachi Port in Pakistan to Jebel Ali, the ministry said.

At Jebel Ali, the dry dates were transferred to another set of containers and loaded onto a different vessel for shipment to India. The operation involved entities run by Pakistani nationals, according to the ministry.

The arrangement was designed to conceal Pakistan origin of the goods.

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Crackdown On Third-Country Routing

India imposed a complete ban on the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan from May 2, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The ban was imposed in the interest of national security.

The DRI has since been targeting attempts to bring Pakistan-origin goods into India through third countries under “Operation Deep Manifest”, the ministry said.

The latest seizure underscores the DRI’s efforts to identify and disrupt networks attempting to circumvent the trade restrictions through misdeclaration, transshipment, and manipulation of documents.

The ministry said the operation was aimed at safeguarding national security and "straightening supply chain integrity."