DRI Seizes Over 362 Metric Tonnes of Pakistani Dry Dates Under Operation Deep Manifest

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized over 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates at Container Freight Station (CFS) Ambad in Nashik, Maharashtra, as part of its ongoing crackdown code-named "Operation Deep Manifest." According to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Finance through the Press Information Bureau, DRI operational teams intercepted 13 shipping containers imported by a Mumbai-based commercial entity. Preliminary investigations revealed a sophisticated transshipment mechanism designed to circumvent India's total ban on Pakistani imports, which was imposed in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack. The consignments originally departed from Karachi Port, Pakistan, aboard a vessel bound for Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates. At the UAE port, Pakistani handlers transferred the dry dates into new containers and issued fraudulent origin certificates declaring the UAE as the country of origin before re-shipping them to India. Under "Operation Deep Manifest," the DRI continuously tracks, intercepts, and disrupts networks attempting to bypass trade prohibitions through third-country routing, document falsification, and transshipment. Official authorities stated that the seizure underscores the government's strict resolve to uphold national trade security, maintain supply chain integrity, and penalise entities attempting to evade statutory import bans.