Gujarat: Dry dates worth Rs 32 lakh ‘illegally imported from Pakistan’ seized at Hazira port

The import duty on goods from Pakistan to India was raised to 200 per cent after the Pulwama attack in 2019. However, the import duty is 20 per cent for goods from Dubai.

Acting on a specific input, the DRI officials had on Friday evening, intercepted four consignments of dry dates at Hazira port. (Representative Image)

Surat Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Friday night seized 140 metric tons of dry dates worth Rs 32 lakh from Hazira port, claiming that the consignment was imported from Pakistan, but it was routed through Dubai to evade import duty.

The import duty on goods from Pakistan to India was raised to 200 per cent after the Pulwama attack in 2019. However, the import duty is 20 per cent for goods from Dubai.

Acting on a specific input, the DRI officials had on Friday evening, intercepted four consignments of dry dates at Hazira port.

According to the officials, it found during checking that the dry dates, packed in plastic and gunny bags, were originally imported from Pakistan.

The consignment was bought by one Jay Bhalani,who is the proprietor of D C International firm of Varachha in Surat, from a trader of Dubai. Bhalani runs betel nut business in Surat.

DRI sources said that a Paksitani date trader of Dubai had imported the consignment from Karachi port and it reached Dubai. From there, the bags containing dry dates were sent as such to Surat.

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