Through which third country's port were the Pakistan-origin rock salt consignments routed?
- A.Sri Lanka
- B.Bangladesh
- C.Oman
- D.Singapore
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Sri Lanka. The salt was shipped through Colombo Port in Sri Lanka and then sent on to India, a third-country route meant to break the visible link with Pakistan. Supporting papers, including certificates of origin and invoices, were issued by firms based in the United Arab Emirates, and that is why candidates sometimes pick the Gulf option; but the port of transshipment in this case was Colombo, not a port in Oman, so option C is wrong. Options B and D, Bangladesh and Singapore, were not part of this routing. The detail that exposed the arrangement is worth remembering: the bills of lading for the Pakistan to Sri Lanka leg and the customs declarations filed with Sri Lanka Customs recorded Pakistan as the country of origin and India as the final destination, while the certificates of origin produced before Indian customs were found to be fabricated.
Read the full article: DRI Busts Pakistan Rock Salt Racket in Operation Deep Manifest
Practice Questions
Which agency carried out Operation Deep Manifest against the smuggling of Pakistan-origin rock salt?
- A.Central Bureau of Investigation
- B.Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- C.Enforcement Directorate
- D.Narcotics Control Bureau
Show answer
DRI ran Operation Deep Manifest and detected 295 containers carrying 7,311 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin industrial or Himalayan rock salt, worth roughly Rs 30 crore, that had been brought into the country in breach of the import ban.
Read the full explanation →Under which law were the four persons in the rock salt case arrested?
- A.Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
- B.Customs Act, 1962
- C.Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
- D.Essential Commodities Act, 1955
Show answer
Four persons were arrested under its provisions, namely two proprietors or partners of importing firms, a customs broker's G-card holder, and the owner of a Dubai-based supplier who had also floated an importing firm in his father's name.
Read the full explanation →Which policy requires the Central Bureau of Narcotics to promote alternative crop development?
- A.National Agriculture Policy 2000
- B.NDPS Policy 2012
- C.National Health Policy 2017
- D.National Forest Policy 1988
Show answer
Promoting alternative development, including the growing of alternative crops in place of illicit ones, is a mandate the bureau carries under this policy, which is why the public dialogue at Malana village formed part of the operation rather than being an extra.
Read the full explanation →The Central Bureau of Narcotics functions under which ministry of the Government of India?
- A.Ministry of Home Affairs
- B.Ministry of Finance
- C.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- D.Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Show answer
The Central Bureau of Narcotics is the country's apex drug law enforcement and regulatory agency and it sits under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, a placement that surprises candidates and therefore makes a good question.
Read the full explanation →Operation Parivartan, under which illicit cannabis cultivation was destroyed, was carried out in which district?
- A.Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
- B.Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
- C.Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
- D.Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir
Show answer
The Central Bureau of Narcotics carried out its destruction drive in Kullu district, clearing 5,165 acres, or 2,070 hectares, of illicit cannabis cultivation over one month.
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