# DRI Uncovers Pakistani Goods Route: 362 Tonnes of Dry Dates Seized at Nashik Freight Station > The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted 13 shipping containers carrying over 362 metric tonnes of Pakistani-origin dry dates in Nashik, Maharashtra. Importers had routed the cargo via UAE to circumvent trade bans enacted after the Pahalgam attack. **Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-09-14 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/nashik-men-dri-ka-bara-ekshana-uae-ke-raste-a-rahe-362-mitrika-tana-pakistani-sukhe-khajura-jabta-32160 · **Language:** English **Tags:** DRI, Nashik, Pakistani Dry Dates, Seizure, Operation Deep Manifest, Customs Evasion, Trade Ban The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has intercepted a massive commercial shipment containing over 362 metric tonnes of dry dates originating from Pakistan. According to details released by the Finance Ministry on Monday, the illicit cargo was being smuggled into the country through a third-nation route in a direct attempt to circumvent national trade sanctions imposed on Pakistani imports. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, investigative officers from the enforcement agency targeted and inspected 13 shipping containers parked at the Ambad Container Freight Station located in Nashik, Maharashtra. Official records revealed that the consignment had been ordered by an import firm based in Mumbai. The containers arrived at Indian shores from the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, with accompanying shipping manifests falsely listing the Gulf nation as the official country of origin. ## How the Circumvention Strategy Was Uncovered Preliminary investigations carried out by enforcement officials exposed a sophisticated transshipment mechanism designed specifically to conceal the true Pakistani origin of the agricultural goods. Logistics data indicated that the dry dates were initially loaded onto vessel containers at the Karachi port in Pakistan and shipped directly to Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates. Upon arriving at the UAE facility, the contraband was systematically transferred into secondary shipping containers to erase traces of its initial departure point. A separate vessel was subsequently used to transport these newly packed containers to India. Investigations further revealed that corporate entities managed by Pakistani nationals played an active role in coordinating this multi-stage rerouting process. ## Trade Ban Enforced Following Pahalgam Terror Attack This major seizure comes amid heightened scrutiny by federal authorities on both direct and indirect import channels linked to Pakistan. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the central government enacted a comprehensive prohibition on goods originating from or exported by Pakistan, extending the ban to indirect transshipment through third-party countries and transit routes. The trade embargo came into force on 2 May 2025 under Notification Number 06/2025-26 issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Authorities instituted this strict policy measure under national security imperatives to block commercial revenue streams that could threaten domestic stability. ## Operation Deep Manifest Targets Fraudulent Supply Chains The ongoing crackdown is being spearheaded under Operation Deep Manifest, a targeted initiative launched by the enforcement agency to identify and penalize fraudulent import practices involving Pakistani-origin items. Investigators are closely tracking complex global trade networks that utilize third-country routing, falsified origin declarations, and altered manifests to bypass statutory prohibitions. Enforcement authorities emphasized that clamping down on trade evasion is vital not only for protecting national security interests, but also for maintaining complete transparency, accountability, and credibility across India's international supply chains. ## What this means for you This major seizure under ongoing import restrictions impacts the domestic dry fruit market and trade compliance protocols. - **Across India:** Dry fruit traders and importers will now face stricter scrutiny over certificate of origin documents. This will curtail illegal rerouted supply lines while protecting compliant domestic businesses from unfair trade practices. - **In Maharashtra:** Freight stations and ports around Nashik and Mumbai will undergo heightened surveillance by enforcement agencies. Local import firms must ensure thorough verification of transshipment supply routes. ## Why this happened The interception resulted from intelligence-led enforcement following strict trade embargoes against Pakistani goods. - **Trade Ban Implementation:** Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the central government issued a total ban on 2 May 2025 covering direct and indirect trade with Pakistan. - **Evasion via Transshipment:** Entities attempted to disguise the true origin of the cargo by shipping dates from Karachi to UAE before re-exporting them to India under altered manifests. - **Operation Deep Manifest:** Intelligence gathered under this targeted enforcement drive alerted authorities to the suspicious movement of 13 containers at the Nashik freight facility. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. What did the DRI seize in Nashik? The DRI intercepted over 362 metric tonnes of Pakistani-origin dry dates at the Ambad Container Freight Station in Nashik. ### 2. How was the cargo brought into India? The goods were initially shipped from Karachi to UAE's Jebel Ali port, where they were repacked into secondary containers to hide their true origin before arriving in India. ### 3. When and why was the trade ban on Pakistan imposed? The ban was imposed on 2 May 2025 by DGFT under national security considerations following the Pahalgam terror attack. ### 4. What is Operation Deep Manifest? Operation Deep Manifest is a targeted DRI campaign designed to detect and stop illicit trade evasion attempted through third-country routing. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._