The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Mumbai has uncovered a major smuggling operation valued at ₹139 crore at Nhava Sheva Port — India’s busiest container gateway — following intelligence inputs and targeted inspections of suspicious consignments. Investigators detected large-scale misdeclaration of cargo, concealment of high-value goods within declared shipments, and the use of fraudulent documentation to evade customs duties. The operation is among the larger DRI enforcement actions at the port in recent years.
Nhava Sheva handles approximately 8.17 million TEUs annually, processing thousands of import declarations daily, which creates both the opportunity for sophisticated fraud and significant detection challenges. DRI investigations at major container ports typically involve manipulation of HS codes, undervaluation of declared cargo, or concealment of prohibited goods inside containers declared under lower-duty categories. The scale and structure of the ₹139 crore racket suggests a multi-party operation with organised customs documentation fraud at its core.
Enforcement Vigilance Amid Crisis Disruption
The bust comes at a moment of heightened customs complexity at Indian ports. The Hormuz crisis has created a surge in non-standard cargo movements — diverted consignments, returned export containers, emergency energy procurement — that creates both processing challenges and potential cover for fraudulent activity. CBIC’s Circular 21/2026, issued last week, specifically safeguards against the relaxed procedures for returned export cargo being misused, requiring 100 per cent examination whenever seal integrity cannot be confirmed. The DRI Nhava Sheva action signals that enforcement agencies remain actively vigilant even as procedural relaxations are extended for legitimate crisis-related trade facilitation.
