The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 364 metric tonnes of dry dates worth about Rs 3 crore at Kandla Port, after an intelligence-led operation found the goods had originated in Pakistan despite paperwork declaring them as UAE produce, according to Business Today and ANI. DRI officers intercepted 13 containers at the port and seized the entire consignment under the Customs Act, 1962.
According to the reports, the dates were first shipped from Pakistan to Dubai, where they were moved into a fresh set of containers before being sent on to India as UAE-origin cargo. That transshipment step was reportedly the crux of the alleged fraud: the goods physically changed vessels and paperwork in Dubai without changing where they actually came from, which is the pattern investigators typically look for when a banned-origin good tries to enter through a third country.
Why the origin matters
Under India’s Foreign Trade Policy, amended with effect from May 2, 2025, the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan is prohibited, both outlets reported. That “indirect” clause is precisely what closes the Dubai-relabelling loophole on paper, even though enforcing it requires exactly the kind of container-by-container intelligence work DRI carried out at Kandla. Dry dates are a routine Ramzan and wedding-season staple across Gujarat’s trading communities, and Kandla, as one of India’s largest ports by cargo volume, handles a significant share of such bulk food imports moving into the state and beyond.
This was not an isolated find. DRI seized 14 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin Guggul resin worth roughly Rs 1.4 crore at Tuticorin Port in the same week, with two arrests made in that case, per the same reporting. Two similar interceptions within days suggest importers are actively testing the UAE-relabelling route across multiple Indian ports rather than this being a one-off attempt at Kandla.
What it means for Gujarat’s trade sector
For Kutch’s port-linked trading businesses, the seizure is a reminder that customs scrutiny on goods routed through the Gulf has tightened since the 2025 ban, and that misdeclaring origin carries the risk of losing an entire consignment rather than just a fine. Legitimate importers who genuinely source dates or similar goods from the UAE may face closer document checks as a result, even though the enforcement action targets the false-declaration scheme specifically, not UAE trade itself.
What to watch next
Whether the Finance Ministry names or prosecutes the importers behind the Kandla consignment, and whether further seizures turn up at Gujarat’s other ports, will show if this was a contained attempt or a wider smuggling pattern moving through the state’s coastline.
Sources: Business Today, ANI
This report was compiled and written with AI assistance from publicly reported sources, and reviewed for accuracy.