Overview

• DRI seized 100 metric tonnes of Chinese firecrackers and fireworks valued at Rs 35 crore under Operation Fire Trail.
• Officials intercepted seven containers at Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Kandla SEZ after they were falsely declared as decorative plants, artificial flowers and plastic mats.
• Smugglers abused SEZ duty exemptions to divert restricted explosives into India’s Domestic Tariff Area.
• A partner of the Kandla SEZ unit was arrested and remanded in judicial custody for orchestrating the misdeclaration scheme.
• Forensic and financial probes are underway to map the smuggling network and assess the explosion risks of the seized goods.