Government agencies have detained and are investigating two hundred containers of pigeon peas that came on board the MV San Antonio, a CMA CGM vessel, from Mozambique into India’s Nhava Sheva port on 25 February 2024. Reports indicate that these pigeon peas are linked to a highly contested matter in Mozambique, where multinational commodities trader, ETG, has made allegations that these pigeon peas were illegally seized from its warehouses and loaded onto a vessel heading to India.

The shipper, Green Mauritania Su Limitada and Rajsons FZ LLC from the UAE, is allegedly linked to Royal Group Limitada, the Mozambican entity that has been the focus of the case in Mozambique which has been accused of illegally seizing and trading the pigeon peas by ETG. The notifying party is Indian company KGN Agro and Equipments, which is in turn also allegedly linked to Green Mauritania and Royal Group. It has been widely reported that Royal Group has previously been investigated by the Indian authorities in connection with the attempted import of genetically modified soyabeans. This latest shipment contains approximately 5000 metric tons of produce.

The authorities in India are currently examining irregularities in the containers and in the declarations by the shippers. Amongst other things, while the shipper’s name is Green Mauritania, the bags appear to display the name of Agrico Marketing, a different Mozambican company run by Rizwan Junadu and Anwar Junadu. ETG labels were also found in some of the bags, lending some credibility to ETG’s allegations that the cargo contains some of their stolen product.

The authorities are also investigating possible money laundering and smuggling allegations by some of these players, including KGN Agro, Agrico Pakistan, and Agrico Marketing.