DRI seizes Rs 5 crore of illegal Chinese firecrackers at Tuticorin Port ahead of Diwali

In a major pre-Diwali crackdown, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized illegal Chinese firecrackers valued at Rs 5.01 crore at Tuticorin Port, according to the Ministry of Finance. The seizure was made under the agency’s ongoing anti-smuggling drive, Operation Fire Trail, aimed at curbing the inflow of banned fireworks ahead of the festive season.

Officials said the consignment, declared falsely as engineering goods, actually contained 83,520 pieces of smuggled firecrackers concealed within two forty-foot containers. The cover cargo was listed as silicon sealant guns. The containers were intercepted during a special drive between October 14 and 18, as part of a coordinated operation involving DRI units in Chennai, Tuticorin and Mumbai.

Four arrested, operation expands across cities

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Following the seizure, the DRI apprehended the importer in Tuticorin and arrested three more individuals, including two from Mumbai. All four have been remanded to judicial custody. Officials said that the arrests were part of a larger investigation to trace the entire network behind the smuggling attempt.

The DRI has intensified its monitoring at key ports and warehouses after several instances of mis-declared shipments were detected in recent months. Officials said such consignments not only violate India’s Foreign Trade Policy but also endanger public and port safety due to the highly combustible nature of the goods.

Restricted imports and legal framework

Under the current Foreign Trade Policy, importing firecrackers requires prior licences from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Explosives Rules, 2008. The illegal import and mis-declaration of such goods constitute serious violations under India’s Customs and safety laws.

“The unauthorised import of hazardous and explosive materials poses grave risks to public safety and national security,” officials said.

The DRI said it remains vigilant in tackling the illegal import of hazardous goods, particularly during festive seasons. “This operation highlights our continued efforts to prevent the illegal import of dangerous goods during the festive season. The agency has been running Operation Fire Trail to track smuggling networks attempting to bring banned fireworks into India through mis-declared cargo shipments. Similar operations have been launched in recent years, resulting in multiple arrests and seizures across key ports.

Seizure follows Supreme Court’s ‘green crackers’ order

The crackdown comes days after the Supreme Court allowed the sale and bursting of certified ‘green crackers’ in Delhi and the National Capital Region between October 18 and 21 under strict conditions. The court directed that only firecrackers carrying QR codes verified by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and PESO may be sold, in a move to curb pollution and promote compliance with safety standards during Diwali.