India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested four people over an alleged scheme to bring Pakistani-origin goods into India through Colombo Port using fraudulent trade documents, India’s Ministry of Finance said.
The ministry said the case involves more than 7.3 million kilograms of Pakistani-origin rock salt valued at over USD 3.15 million (INR 30 crore). Nine importers allegedly brought 295 containers into India through the Mundra and Kandla ports since March 2026, despite restrictions on imports of Pakistani-origin goods.
Authorities said a UAE-based company allegedly routed the shipments via Colombo. Customs declarations filed in Sri Lanka correctly listed Pakistan as the country of origin and India as the final destination, but fraudulent certificates were allegedly used during Indian import clearance.
Between 26 September and 11 October, officers identified the shipments and seized five containers carrying about 140 metric tonnes of rock salt. The ministry said the network involved businesses owned by Pakistani, UAE, Sri Lankan and Indian nationals.
Investigations are continuing to identify others involved.
