DRI Seizes 25,000 Kg Pakistani-Origin Watermelon Seeds Routed Through Dubai, Arrests Two

NewsBharati    24-Oct-2026 17:35:17 PM
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New Delhi, October 24 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under Operation Deep Manifest, has uncovered an attempt to evade India’s import prohibition on Pakistani-origin goods by routing a consignment of watermelon seeds through Dubai. The agency seized around 25,000 kg of seeds worth approximately Rs. 2.02 crore and arrested two persons on October 22, 2026.
 
DRI Seizes 25,000 Kg
 
The operation, conducted between September 11 and October 22, 2026, exposed the alleged use of false country-of-origin declarations and fabricated import documents to conceal the Pakistani origin of the goods.
 
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers examined a consignment imported through Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra. The shipment had been declared as UAE-origin muskmelon seeds. However, examination revealed that the goods were watermelon seeds, with documentary evidence indicating their Pakistani origin.
 
The investigation found that the consignment had been shipped from Karachi Port in Pakistan to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. After reaching Dubai, the goods were transferred into a different set of containers and loaded onto another vessel for shipment to India. Investigators found that the change of containers and vessels, along with false declarations and fabricated documents, was intended to disguise the actual origin of the goods.
 
The consignment was seized on October 14 under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The investigation revealed the alleged involvement of two related persons connected to the Importer Exporter Code (IEC) holder. One, the importer's son, reportedly owns and directs the Dubai-based supplier firm, while his cousin was allegedly handling import formalities and domestic sales in India. Both were arrested on October 22.
 
 
 
DRI also found that the importer had brought in an earlier consignment of 22,000 kg of muskmelon seeds from the same Dubai-based supplier in February 2026. The suspected transshipment of that consignment has raised further questions about its declared UAE origin.
 
According to the investigation, the shipment violated two import restrictions. DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26, dated May 2, 2025, prohibits the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan. Separately, watermelon seeds have been restricted for import into India since July 1, 2024, under DGFT Notification No. 02/2023, dated April 5, 2024.
 
The latest action follows DRI seizures involving Pakistani-origin goods routed through third countries. In September 2026, the agency seized over 362 metric tonnes of dry dates at CFS Ambad in Nashik. In October, it detected the alleged illegal import of 7,311 metric tonnes of industrial and Himalayan rock salt across 295 containers routed through Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 
The government introduced the prohibition on Pakistani-origin goods following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, citing national security and public policy. DRI said it remains committed to dismantling networks involved in customs fraud and the circumvention of India's import restrictions.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Customs Act 1962 DGFT Notification No Pakistani India’s import