Veraval: Under its ongoing “Operation Fire Trail,” the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has foiled a sophisticated smuggling racket involving the illegal import of Chinese-origin fireworks and firecrackers into India, an official statement said on Monday.

DRI officers intercepted a 40-foot container at Nhava Sheva Port that had arrived from China and was bound for ICD Ankleshwar. The shipment was falsely declared as “leggings.” Upon inspection, officials uncovered 46,640 concealed pieces of firecrackers and fireworks hidden behind a superficial layer of garments. The seized consignment is valued at ₹4.82 crore. Further investigations and searches led to the seizure of incriminating documents exposing the smuggling network’s modus operandi, and a key accused was arrested from Veraval, Gujarat.

The import of firecrackers is classified as “Restricted” under the ITC (HS) of the Foreign Trade Policy and requires mandatory licences from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) in accordance with the Explosives Rules, 2008. The unlawful import of such hazardous goods poses grave risks to public safety, national security, critical port infrastructure, and the wider shipping and logistics chain., the law enforcement agency said in a statement. DeshGujarat