Largest Indian Port Starts Ban On Ships From Iran, Pakistan

The largest Indian port has put in effect a ban on container ships carrying cargoes from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan since Monday due to smuggling concerns.

Iran Labour News Agency (ILNA) reported on Tuesday that despite Iranian government denials, Adani Ports and Logistics, the operator of Mundra port in Gujarat has put in effect a ban it had announced in October.

Indian officials announced on September 21 that they had seized nearly three tons of heroin originating from Afghanistan and shipped from Iran’s Bandar Abbas Port worth an estimated 200 billion rupees ($2.72 billion). This followed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August.

Adani Ports and Logistics announced in October that starting November 15 it will not accept ships coming from Iranian and Pakistani ports.

ILNA expresses concern that Iran’s exports to western India will suffer because of the ban by the Mundra port operator, which has apparently not accepted a request from the Indian Customs Commissioner to reconsider its ban.

Ships from Iran can still use a government-operated port in Gujarat, but ILNA quoted Iranian merchants as saying that logistics at this port is more limited.