DRI Seizes 364 Tonnes of Banned Pakistan-Origin Dry Dates at Kandla Port

New Delhi: In a major crackdown on attempts to bypass India’s ban on imports from Pakistan, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered a racket involving the routing and misdeclaration of Pakistan-origin goods through third countries.

The agency seized 13 containers carrying 364 tonnes of dry dates worth around Rs 3 crore at Kandla port. Although the consignment was declared as originating from the UAE, the DRI’s investigation found that the dry dates were actually sourced from Pakistan.

According to the DRI, the goods were first transported from Pakistan to Dubai, where they were shifted into another set of containers before being exported to India. Importers allegedly falsified the country of origin to evade the ban on Pakistan-origin imports.

In a similar operation last week, the DRI intercepted a 14-tonne consignment of Pakistan-origin Guggul resin worth Rs 1.4 crore at Tuticorin port. The shipment had been falsely declared as natural resin from Somalia and routed through Dubai.

The DRI said Guggul (Commiphora), a plant native to the arid regions of India and Pakistan, is listed under CITES Appendix II and is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Investigators found that the consignment contained Guggul resin of Pakistani origin and had been transshipped using forged documents. Two people were arrested for their alleged role in the conspiracy.

The agency noted that under the Foreign Trade Policy amendment issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in 2023, the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating from or exported by Pakistan has been prohibited since May 2025.

In a separate operation, the DRI also busted an illegal manufacturing unit producing psychotropic substances in Maharashtra’s Satara district. Two people were arrested during the raid. DeshGujarat