In a serious pre-Diwali crackdown, the Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI) has seized unlawful Chinese language firecrackers valued at Rs 5.01 crore at Tuticorin Port, in keeping with the Ministry of Finance. The seizure was made beneath the company’s ongoing anti-smuggling drive, Operation Fireplace Path, aimed toward curbing the influx of banned fireworks forward of the festive season.
Officers stated the consignment, declared falsely as engineering items, really contained 83,520 items of smuggled firecrackers hid inside two forty-foot containers. The quilt cargo was listed as silicon sealant weapons. The containers had been intercepted throughout a particular drive between October 14 and 18, as a part of a coordinated operation involving DRI items in Chennai, Tuticorin and Mumbai.
4 arrested, operation expands throughout cities
Following the seizure, the DRI apprehended the importer in Tuticorin and arrested three extra people, together with two from Mumbai. All 4 have been remanded to judicial custody. Officers stated that the arrests had been half of a bigger investigation to hint all the community behind the smuggling try.
The DRI has intensified its monitoring at key ports and warehouses after a number of situations of mis-declared shipments had been detected in latest months. Officers stated such consignments not solely violate India’s Overseas Commerce Coverage but additionally endanger public and port security because of the extremely flamable nature of the products.
Restricted imports and authorized framework
Beneath the present Overseas Commerce Coverage, importing firecrackers requires prior licences from the Directorate Common of Overseas Commerce (DGFT) and the Petroleum and Explosives Security Organisation (PESO) beneath the Explosives Guidelines, 2008. The unlawful import and mis-declaration of such items represent critical violations beneath India’s Customs and security legal guidelines.
“The unauthorised import of hazardous and explosive supplies poses grave dangers to public security and nationwide safety,” officers stated.
The DRI stated it stays vigilant in tackling the unlawful import of hazardous items, notably throughout festive seasons. “This operation highlights our continued efforts to stop the unlawful import of harmful items in the course of the festive season. The company has been operating Operation Fireplace Path to trace smuggling networks trying to convey banned fireworks into India by mis-declared cargo shipments. Related operations have been launched in recent times, leading to a number of arrests and seizures throughout key ports.
Seizure follows Supreme Court docket’s ‘inexperienced crackers’ order
The crackdown comes days after the Supreme Court docket allowed the sale and bursting of licensed ‘inexperienced crackers’ in Delhi and the Nationwide Capital Area between October 18 and 21 beneath strict circumstances. The court docket directed that solely firecrackers carrying QR codes verified by the Nationwide Environmental Engineering Analysis Institute (NEERI) and PESO could also be bought, in a transfer to curb air pollution and promote compliance with security requirements throughout Diwali.
