Operation Fire Trail: DRI Busts Rs. 35 Crore Chinese Firecracker Smuggling Racket

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out a codenamed operation called “Operation Fire Trail” in a major legal action against the smuggling of Chinese firecrackers into India. During this operation, they successfully tracked, stopped, and seized a large quantity of Chinese firecrackers worth approximately Rs. 35 crore. These firecrackers were hidden inside seven containers that were either on their way to or already at the Nhava Sheva Port, Mundra Port, and Kandla SEZ.

These Chinese fireworks, weighing 100 metric tonnes, were illegally brought into India by falsely declaring them as items such as “mini decorative plants,” “artificial flowers,” and “plastic mats.” The import was done in the name of a unit in KASEZ (Kandla Special Economic Zone) and some Importer Exporter Code (IEC) holders.

Some of these smuggled firecracker shipments were sent through Kandla SEZ by a unit in the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ), with the hidden plan to illegally bring them into the Indian market, known as the Domestic Tariff Area or DTA. A key person involved, a partner of the SEZ unit, was caught playing an active role in this smuggling. He used false declarations and misused SEZ rules to do it. This person has now been arrested and sent to jail by the court.

Importing firecrackers into India is not freely permitted and is classified as a ‘Restricted’ item under the Foreign Trade Policy of India, meaning it needs special licenses approved from DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation) under the Explosive Rules, 2008. These firecrackers are harmful because they contain banned chemicals such as red lead, copper oxide, and lithium.

Firecrackers are highly flammable and can lead to serious damage to public safety, port infrastructure, and the overall transportation system.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) presents a well-executed and planned operation that shows a stern commitment to anti-smuggling, protecting public interest, and ensuring public safety around the country’s infrastructure. By stopping the illegal and dangerous firecrackers from entering the Indian marketplace, the DRI has eliminated the probability of accidents, explosions, and harm to the supply chain.

The DRI continues to work hard to discover, stop, and break down illegal smuggling networks that harm the import-export trade system and put public safety at risk.