The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in two different cases has busted a major smuggling syndicate attempting to illegally import Chinese firecrackers. According to information shared by DRI, crackers worth over ₹10 crore being imported through Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra and Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu, were seized under “Operation Fire Trail” between October 14th and 18th 2025. A total of five persons have been arrested in these two cases by DRI so far and further investigation is underway. 

According to DRI, acting on specific intelligence, officers at Nhava Sheva intercepted a 40 foot container declared as carrying “leggings.” A thorough examination revealed 46,640 hidden pieces of Chinese fireworks concealed behind layers of garments, valued at approximately ₹4.82 crore. The importer had mis-declared the goods to bypass customs inspection and evade import restrictions. Subsequent searches led to the recovery of incriminating documents revealing the modus operandi of the smuggling syndicate, and the arrest of a key person behind it from Veraval, Gujarat. 

 In a parallel crackdown at Tuticorin Port, DRI officers seized 83,520 more pieces of fireworks falsely declared as “engineering goods” and covered with “silicon sealant guns” to disguise the real cargo. The contraband, valued at around ₹5.01 crore, was discovered in two 40-foot containers. The agency arrested four individuals, including the importer of the consignment and associates from Chennai and Mumbai, who have since been remanded to judicial custody. 

According to DRI, import of firecrackers is restricted under India’s ITC (HS) classification and requires valid licences from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Explosives Rules, 2008. The offenders neither declared nor possessed such permissions.

The DRI said the consignments, if unchecked, could have posed a grave risk to public safety, port infrastructure, and the logistics chain due to the highly combustible nature of the goods. Investigators also recovered incriminating documents revealing the network’s modus operandi for concealing hazardous cargo within regular merchandise.

DRI described the coordinated seizures as a significant step in curbing illegal imports that threaten not only revenue and trade compliance but also national security and public safety. The DRI reiterated its commitment to maintaining strict vigilance at Indian ports.

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