NEW DELHI/NASIK: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates after uncovering an alleged transshipment network that routed the prohibited goods through the United Arab Emirates to evade India’s ban on imports from Pakistan.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted 13 containers at the Container Freight Station (CFS) Ambad in Nashik. The consignment had arrived from Jebel Ali in the UAE and its import documents declared the UAE as the country of origin.

A preliminary investigation, however, allegedly revealed that the dry dates had originally been shipped from Karachi Port in Pakistan to Jebel Ali. At the UAE port, the goods were transferred into different containers and loaded onto another vessel before being shipped to India.

According to the DRI, the transshipment was carried out through entities operated by Pakistani nationals, allegedly as part of an arrangement intended to conceal the actual origin of the goods and circumvent Indian trade restrictions.

The seizure comes after the Government of India imposed a complete prohibition on the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan from May 2, 2025, citing national security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Under DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26, the restrictions cover Pakistan-origin goods even when they are routed through third countries.

The latest action forms part of the DRI’s “Operation Deep Manifest”, under which the agency has been targeting attempts to bypass the prohibition through misdeclaration, third-country routing, transshipment and manipulation of import documentation.

The DRI said the seizure demonstrates its continued efforts to identify and dismantle networks attempting to circumvent trade restrictions.

“The operation underscores the resolve to disrupt sophisticated attempts to conceal the origin of prohibited goods and safeguard national security and supply-chain integrity,” the agency said.

The seized dry dates and related documents are now under investigation as authorities examine the wider network involved in the alleged attempted import and whether further consignments or entities are linked to the operation.