Smuggled 30,000 pieces of Chinese firecrackers worth Rs 5 crore seized, 1 held: DRI
Mumbai, India – 17 November
India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stopped a new smuggling plot that aimed to bring 30,000 illicit Chinese fireworks into the country. The raid took place at the Mundra port, one of India’s busiest trade hubs.
What happened?
DRI officers seized a 40‑foot container that had been sent from China. The shipment was falsely declared as “water glass set” and “flower receptacle.” Inside, the officials found 30,000 firecrackers and fireworks that had been hidden behind a layer of decorative glass. The importer had no proper documents and admitted the goods were smuggled for profit.
Who was caught?
One person was arrested on the spot. The seized goods are worth about Rs 5 crore ($660,000).
What’s at stake?
Fireworks are strictly controlled under India’s Foreign Trade Policy. Importing them requires licences from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). The DRI warned that smuggling explosive materials endangers public safety, national security, and port operations.
More successes that month
- In October, the DRI Mumbai Zonal Unit intercepted a large batch of Chinese fireworks worth about Rs 16 crore.
- Earlier that month, similar attempts were thwarted in Mumbai and Tuticorin.
The bigger picture
DRI is running “Fire Trail,” a nationwide operation to curb illegal firecracker imports. The agency says it will keep tightening security and dismantling organised smuggling rings that threaten India’s trade and safety networks.
For more updates on India’s trade enforcement and smuggling crackdown, stay tuned.
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