New Delhi, Feb. 11 -- India has significantly enhanced its global enforcement capabilities to curb transnational smuggling networks through 42 Mutual Customs Cooperation Agreements with major trading partners, while 21 more such pacts are under negotiation, CBIC Member Mohan Kumar Singh said on Wednesday.
Addressing the 5th Edition of Anti-Smuggling Day organised by FICCI CASCADE, Singh said that smuggling has evolved into an organised, technology-driven economic crime with direct implications for national security and economic stability.
"Our customs formations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence have intensified enforcement efforts significantly. In the first three quarters of the current financial year alone, we have seized around 500 kilograms of gold, nearly 150 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, approximately 120 kilograms of cocaine, around 50 kilograms of heroin, and close to 3,700 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis at airports," he said.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has also detected over 100 wildlife trafficking cases, along with seizures involving dual-use goods, arms, ammunition, drones and fake Indian currency notes, he said.
He stressed that today's smuggling syndicates are commodity-agnostic and technologically agile, combining traditional concealment techniques with digital anonymity, complex financial layering and cross-border coordination.
"Enforcement must move beyond event-based seizures to network-based disruption. We need to target financial flows, logistics enablers and international linkages that sustain these illicit ecosystems," he said.
"Customs acts as the first line of defence at the country's borders. Through risk-based inspections, advanced cargo screening, non-intrusive examination systems and AI-driven analytics, we are identifying suspicious consignments before they enter the domestic market," he added.
Referring to recent Union Budget announcements, he said, AI-powered image analytics and expanded container scanning across major ports will further strengthen enforcement capabilities, while GST simplification and customs reforms continue to promote compliance and reduce incentives for illicit trade.
Highlighting the importance of collective international action, FICCI CASCADE chairman Anil Rajput said, "Combating smuggling cannot be the responsibility of one institution or one country alone. Strong partnerships among compliant nations are essential to promote legal trade, share intelligence, and decisively punish illicit operators."
Right action at the right time by policymakers is essential, as any delay risks allowing illicit activity to deepen, leading to consequences that can be catastrophic for the economy and the nation, Rajput added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.