Pakistani-origin cosmetics, dry dates worth Rs 12 crore seized at Nhava Sheva port; two held

Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 28 containers carrying Pakistani goods worth about Rs 12 crore at the Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai and arrested two persons in connection with the haul, officials said on Saturday.

The containers carried cosmetics and dry dates that were routed through the Jebel Ali port in Dubai by misdeclaring them as UAE origin, said the DRI officials.

Under ‘Operation Deep Manifest’, the country’s top anti-smuggling unit seized 28 containers loaded with 800 tonnes of cosmetics and dry dates of Pakistani origin, an official said.

The consignments, worth about Rs 12 crore, were procured by three Indian importers in blatant violation of prohibitions imposed by the government on the import of Pakistani-origin goods, the official said.

The goods were sent through a complex web of transactions involving Pakistani, Indian and UAE nationals, to obscure their true origin.

A Dubai-based Indian national, operating on a commission basis, facilitated the transhipment of dry dates from Pakistan by issuing fabricated invoices. He allegedly used his firms to disguise the sea transport trail.

Money was also routed from India to Pakistan through him, the official said, adding that the supplier has been arrested.

One Customs broker has been arrested for facilitating the smuggling of cosmetics from Pakistan by falsely declaring the country of origin, he said.

In the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists, the Centre on May 2 imposed a complete ban on direct or indirect import of Pakistani-origin goods. The DRI subsequently launched an operation to seize goods imported from the neighbouring country in violation of the ban. PTI DC NR