DRI uncovers a scheme routing 295 containers of Pakistani rock salt through Sri Lanka.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has detected a scheme to circumvent India’s prohibition on Pakistan-origin imports under “Operation Deep Manifest.” DRI found that 295 containers carrying 7,311 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin industrial and Himalayan rock salt, valued at around ₹30 crore, had been routed through Colombo Port, Sri Lanka, using fabricated certificates of origin and invoices from UAE-based entities.
A fortnight-long operation between September 26 and October 11 covered searches in Gandhidham, Adipur, Veraval, Panipat, Pune, Patiala, Delhi and Mumbai. Investigators found nine importers had brought the containers through Mundra and Kandla ports since March 2026. Five containers carrying 140 MT of rock salt, worth ₹24.41 lakh, were seized at Kandla Port, along with ₹20.96 lakh in sales proceeds from importers’ bank accounts.
The investigation uncovered a transnational network involving Pakistani, UAE, Sri Lankan and Indian nationals. Four people were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962. The case follows a similar crackdown last month, when DRI seized over 362,000 kg of Pakistan-origin dry dates at Nashik. The import ban followed the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Source: Press Information Bureau
