Pakistan-Origin Watermelon Seeds: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has caught a shipment of around 25,000 kg of watermelon seeds worth ₹2.02 crore at Nhava Sheva Port. The seeds were brought from Pakistan through Dubai but were shown as goods from the UAE to hide their real origin and avoid India’s import ban. Two people were arrested on October 22, 2026, in this case under Operation Deep Manifest. The operation ran from September 11 to October 22, 2026.
How the Seeds Were Brought Into India
DRI officers checked the shipment after getting information about it. The papers said the goods were muskmelon seeds from the UAE. But when officers checked the shipment, they found watermelon seeds that were believed to have come from Pakistan.
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The investigation found that the seeds were first sent from Karachi Port in Pakistan to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. They were then moved to different containers and loaded onto another ship for India. Officials say the change of containers and ships, along with false documents, was used to hide where the goods came from.
The shipment was seized on October 14 under the Customs Act, 1962. Investigators also found that the same importer had brought 22,000 kg of muskmelon seeds from the same Dubai supplier in February 2026. That shipment was also declared as UAE-origin, but officials suspect it may have followed a similar route. The total quantity of Pakistani-origin watermelon and muskmelon seeds detected in the case is 46,920 kg.
Two Persons Arrested in the Case
The investigation found the alleged involvement of two relatives of the Importer Exporter Code (IEC) holder. One is the importer’s son and the owner and director of the Dubai-based supplier company. The other is his nephew, who allegedly handled import paperwork and sales in India. Both were arrested on October 22.
Why the Import Was Illegal
DRI found two reasons why the shipment violated India’s import rules. First, the government banned the direct or indirect import and transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan through DGFT Notification No. 06/2025-26 dated May 2, 2025. The ban came after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.
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Second, watermelon seeds have been restricted for import into India since July 1, 2024, under DGFT Notification No. 02/2023 dated April 5, 2024.
DRI has also seized over 362 metric tonnes of Pakistani dry dates in September 2026 and detected 7,311 metric tonnes of Pakistani-origin rock salt routed through Sri Lanka in October. The agency says it will continue to investigate attempts to hide the origin of banned goods and break networks involved in customs fraud.
