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9 Smuggling in India Report 2024-25

Firecrackers

The smuggling of firecrackers poses serious threats to public safety, national secu-
rity, port and supply chain infrastructure, government revenue, and legitimate
businesses. Illicit consignments circumvent safety regulations, flooding markets
with uncertified, low-quality explosives. Such products, manufactured outside
regulatory oversight, greatly increase the risk of accidental fires, debilitating
burns, and storage or transport disasters. Further, illicit explosives bypass regula-
tory controls and end up in informal hands, creating opportunities for their diver-
sion into criminal or extremist activity.

The import of firecrackers is ‘Restricted’ under the ITC (HS) Classification of the
Foreign Trade Policy and requires valid licences from both the Directorate Gener-
al of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization
(PESO) under the Explosives Rules, 2008.

In FY 2024-25, DRI foiled attempts to smuggle firecrackers worth ₹11.76 crore
at various ports, including Nhava Sheva, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Case 9: Smuggled recrackers worth ₹5.40 crore seized at Nhava
Sheva port

In January 2025, DRI officers examined a container declared to contain
“Lock, Shaver and Yoga mats” and recovered 40,296 pieces of firecrack-
ers concealed behind a few rows of declared goods. The undeclared
goods, valued at ₹5.40 crore, along with the cover cargo were seized.

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