The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 28 containers carrying Pakistani-origin goods worth about Rs 12 crore at Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai and arrested two persons in connection with it, officers told news agency PTI on Saturday.

The containers were loaded with cosmetics and dry dates and had been routed through Dubai’s Jebel Ali port by falsely declaring them as goods of UAE origin, they said.

Under its “Operation Deep Manifest”, the anti-smuggling agency seized around 800 tonnes of Pakistani goods imported by three Indian firms in violation of the Centre’s ban on trade with the neighbouring country.

“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,” an officer said, according to PTI.

The government had on May 2 imposed a complete ban on the import of Pakistani-origin goods, directly or indirectly, after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, most of them tourists.

According to officers, the smuggling was carried out through a complex web of transactions involving Pakistani, Indian and UAE nationals, reported PTI. A Dubai-based Indian national, operating on commission, allegedly facilitated the transhipment of dry dates by issuing fabricated invoices and using his companies to disguise the shipping trail. He also routed money from India to Pakistan.

“He has been arrested,” the official said. A Customs broker was also arrested for allegedly helping import cosmetics from Pakistan by misdeclaring the country of origin, he added.

Two detained in Nagpur for being part of WhatsApp group with Pakistanis

Two men were detained in Kamptee town of Nagpur district by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Saturday for being part of a WhatsApp group that included several Pakistan nationals, an officer said.

The duo — a 42-year-old teacher and a 40-year-old businessman — were picked up from their homes around 9 am and questioned for nine hours.

They were released in the evening after investigators found no incriminating evidence.

“Though they are members of the group, they are not active on it and may be joining through a shared link,” the ATS officer clarified.

He said their mobile phones had been seized for analysis and the data was being copied for further investigation.

“They were allowed to go as no incriminating evidence has been found as of now,” the officer added.

(With PTI inputs)

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