New Delhi: In a major crackdown ahead of Diwali, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized illegal Chinese firecrackers worth Rs 5.01 crore at Tuticorin Port under its ongoing operation ‘Fire Trail’, according to the Finance Ministry on Sunday.

The consignment, mis-declared as engineering goods, contained 83,520 pieces of smuggled firecrackers hidden inside two forty-foot containers.

According to officials, the DRI intercepted the containers during a special drive between October 14 and 18.

The seized shipment also included cover cargo of silicon sealant guns. Following coordinated operations across Chennai, Tuticorin, and Mumbai, officers apprehended the importer at Tuticorin and arrested three more individuals, including two from Mumbai.

All four have been remanded

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