DRI Seizes 25,000 Kg Pakistan-Origin Watermelon Seeds Worth ₹2.02 Crore At Nhava Sheva Port, Arrests Two Under Operation Deep Manifest
Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under Operation Deep Manifest, has unearthed another attempt to circumvent India’s prohibition on the import of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan. The operation, conducted between 11 September and 22 October 2026, led to the interception of a consignment of around 25,000 kg Pakistan-origin watermelon seeds that had been routed…
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 25,000 kg of watermelon seeds, originating from Pakistan, at the Nhava Sheva Port. These seeds, which were falsely declared as originating from the UAE, were intercepted between September 11th and October 22nd, 2026. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the operation, code-named Deep Manifest, which aimed to identify and prevent the import of goods from Pakistan to circumvent India's import prohibition.
The investigation traced the consignment's journey from Karachi Port in Pakistan to Dubai, where it was transshipped, before being loaded onto another vessel for transport to India. The market value of the seized consignment was approximately Rs. 2.02 crore. The prohibition on importing goods from Pakistan was imposed on May 2nd, 2025, under DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26.
Additionally, watermelon seeds have been restricted for import into India since July 1st, 2024, as per DGFT Notification No. 02/2023. The investigation also revealed that the importer had previously brought in a consignment of 22,000 kg of muskmelon seeds from the same Dubai supplier in February 2026, again declaring them as UAE-origin.
The two arrested individuals are the son and nephew of the Importer Exporter Code (IEC) holder, involved in the handling of the operation.
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