Adani Group says customs, DRI team seized hazardous cargo containers at Mundra Port

Adani Group on Friday released a statement on several containers which were seized by customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) teams at Mundra Airport yesterday, November 18, from a foreign vessel on concerns that 'they contained undeclared hazardous cargo.' The said port is run by Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ), the ports business under the Gautam Adani-run conglomerate.

While the cargo was listed as non-hazardous, the seized containers had Hazard Class 7 markings (which indicate radioactive substances). "Although the containers were not destined for Mundra Port or any other port in India but were en route from Karachi in Pakistan to Shanghai in China, the government authorities had them offloaded at Mundra Port for further inspection," the group further stated.

Earlier this week, Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ) had said it will not handle containerised cargo originating from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan at all its terminals from November 15. The decision came nearly a month after the seizure of 2,988 kg of heroin at Mundra Port located in Kutch district of Gujarat.

In the single largest heroin haul in India in September, authorities had seized around 3,000 kg of the drug, believed to be from Afghanistan and likely worth Rs 21,000 crore in the global market, from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district, officials had said. Adani Group had clarified saying that it is only the port operator and does not have the authority to check shipments arriving at the port.

“The law empowers the Government of India's competent authorities such as the Customs and the DRI to open, examine and seize the unlawful cargo. No port operator across the country can examine a container. Their role is limited to running the port," the company had stated earlier.

Following the seizure, searches were conducted by the DRI in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham and Mandvi in Gujarat, following which two persons were arrested.

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