What is Operation Deep Manifest? India seizes 362 tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates in major import ban crackdown

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted 13 containers of dry dates imported by a Mumbai-based firm at the Container Freight Station (CFS), Ambad, Nashik.

The consignments had arrived from Jebel Ali in the UAE, with import documents declaring the UAE as the country of origin, according to a statement issued by the Indian government.

A preliminary investigation revealed a carefully orchestrated transshipment arrangement allegedly designed to conceal the Pakistan origin of the goods.

“The dry dates were initially shipped from Karachi Port, Pakistan, to Jebel Ali Port, UAE, in one set of containers aboard one vessel. At Jebel Ali, the goods were merely transshipped and transferred to another set of containers and loaded onto a different vessel for onward shipment to India through entities operated by Pakistani nationals,” the statement said.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India, citing national security concerns, imposed a complete prohibition on the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, effective May 2, 2025.

The prohibition was imposed through DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26, dated May 2, 2025.

In response, the DRI, under “Operation Deep Manifest,” has been identifying, intercepting and seizing Pakistan-origin goods allegedly being routed into India through third countries in an attempt to circumvent the import ban.

The latest seizure highlights the DRI’s efforts to identify, disrupt and dismantle networks allegedly seeking to evade trade restrictions through misdeclaration, transshipment and manipulation of import documentation.

The agency said such enforcement action is aimed at safeguarding national security and strengthening the integrity of India’s supply chains.