DRI seizes 362 MT of Pakistan-origin dry dates in Nashik under Operation Deep Manifest

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 362 metric tonnes of dry dates of Pakistan origin in Nashik, in an enforcement action targeting trade routes used to circumvent India's import prohibitions.

The consignments, carried in 13 cargo containers, were intercepted at CFS Ambad. The shipment had been imported by a commercial entity based in Mumbai.

Investigators found that the cargo had been routed through Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, with import clearance documents falsely naming the UAE as the sovereign country of origin. According to official findings, the goods began their maritime journey at Karachi Port in Pakistan and were carried to Jebel Ali aboard one vessel.

At the Gulf hub, the consignment was transferred to a different set of containers and loaded onto another vessel for the onward journey to India, a step officials described as a deliberately orchestrated transhipment arrangement meant to conceal the goods' Pakistan origin. The cargo is said to have undergone minimal physical handling in the transit zone, a move that obscured the paper trail. The onward shipment was handled through entities operated by Pakistani nationals, the findings stated.

The operation, carried out under the DRI's 'Operation Deep Manifest', follows a complete prohibition on the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan. The ban was imposed with effect from 2 May 2025 through a Directorate General of Foreign Trade notification, after the Pahalgam terror attack, with the government citing national security concerns.

In response to attempts to route such goods through third countries, central enforcement authorities have put in place structured surveillance protocols aimed at third-party trade jurisdictions. The DRI said it has been consistently identifying, intercepting and seizing Pakistan-origin goods sought to be brought into India through such routing.

Customs and intelligence officials are continuing to track intermediate entities linked to falsified commercial documents, fraudulent routing manifests and proxy transhipment points. The agency said the seizure reflects its resolve to identify, disrupt and dismantle networks that seek to evade trade prohibitions through misdeclaration, transhipment and manipulation of documentation, and to protect supply chain integrity.