Smuggling

Smuggled gold seized at airports doubled in FY23, FinMin tells Lok Sabha

Mumbai witnessed 50 per cent growth in gold seized in FY23 compared to the pre-pandemic year of FY20

Uzbek national trying to smuggle medicines worth Rs 89L held at IGI Airport

The official added that the passenger has committed offence punishable under Sections 132 and 135 of the Customs Act

DRI seizes over than Rs 1,000 cr of contraband each month, says agency's DG

Statement made at Ficci Cascade event, where it was revealed that World Customs Organization has evolved strategies to tackle illicit trade using AI, ML, blockchain to disrupt the practice

India's march to $40 trn economy can be seized by smuggling: Report

The magnitude of smuggling and the consequent loss to the country's economy might become a roadblock in India's march towards a USD 40 trillion economy under the government's vision of Amrit Kaal, a report said. There is a need to launch a robust international campaign against the menace of smuggling so that major impediment in the growth path is removed, FICCI Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) said in a report. While last year FICCI CASCADE took the initiative to mark February 11 as Anti-Smuggling Day, it has appealed to the government to highlight the issue of smuggling on the world stage and work with the United Nations to declare the day as 'International Anti-Smuggling Day'. The significance of the need for a high-impact international campaign against smuggling can be understood in the context of the massive loss that smuggling inflicts on the Indian economy, it said. The tax loss to Government of India because of the illicit trade

Govt needs to lead and set global agenda on smuggling: Think tank report

The government should take up a campaign against smuggling at the global level and a curb on such practices can help the world earn about USD 31 billion per year, a report said. Eliminating illicit trade would gain governments at least USD 31.3 billion every year, and from 2030 onwards more than 164,000 premature deaths every year would be avoided, the vast majority in middle and low-income countries, the report by Think Change Forum (TCF) said. India being one the biggest consumer of smuggled products, the report said. The country loses a significant amount of revenue every year. So, there is a need for India to take lead on the issue and coordinate at the global forum as the country suffers more on the revenue front than others because it is a consuming nation. As per World Health Organization, governments lose USD 40.5 billion every year in revenue from the illicit trade of tobacco products. To make smuggling an important part of the global narrative, the report said, different

Finance ministry looks to curb smuggling of top-end mobile phones

FinMin considers proposal to reduce basic Customs duty on phones with a cost, insurance and freight value of over Rs 35,000

TN civil supplies seized 1,991 quintals of smuggled PDS rice,200 arrested

The Civil supplies have also seized 146 litres of kerosene and 43 gas cylinders that were to be supplied to PDS ration shops in the state

Gulf migrants tapped to smuggle gold, narcotics spike surprise officials

The annual report for 2021-22 released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman goes into granular details of how smuggling has massively diversified

Counterfeiting, smuggling develop into substantial threat to global economy

Jaspal Singh IPS, Director General of Police, Goa informed that awareness is the first step towards enforcement as the problem of trade in illicit products emanates from the lack of awareness.

Find gold import and smuggling link, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The remarks came against the backdrop of a substantial quantity of gold seized between April last year and March this year

India seized 833 kg gold worth Rs 405 cr in FY22, highest from Myanmar

The highest amount of gold seized was of Myanmar origin, marking a significant shift from 2019-20, when the majority of it was from West Asia

BSF effectively guarding against infiltration, smuggling: MoS Nityanand Rai

The Border Security Force (BSF) has been effectively thwarting the growing challenges of infiltration, drugs and arms smuggling and the menace of drones from across the border, Union minister Nityanand Rai said here on Sunday. He was speaking while officiating as the chief guest of the 58th Raising Day parade of the force, the country's largest border guarding force with 2.65 lakh personnel, held in the campus of the Guru Nanak Dev University here, roughly 30 km from the India-Pakistan International Border that runs along Punjab. The Union minister of state for home affairs also said that women personnel are increasingly being engaged in various duties being rendered by the force, which is reflective of the women empowerment vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The increasing challenges of infiltration, smuggling of narcotics and arms and the activity of drones are being effectively dealt with by the BSF and it has been continuously thwarting these attempts along our border, Rai

Multiple NIA raids to dismantle nexus between terrorists and drug smugglers

NIA conducted raids at multiple locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR region to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers

Over 5,500 litres of smuggled illicit liquor destroyed: Delhi excise dept

The Excise department of Delhi government on Saturday destroyed 5,516 litres of smuggled illicit liquor seized by its enforcement teams in recent months, officials said. According to the Excise department, 3,267 litres of illicit liquor was destroyed in Mayur Vihar, 1,285 litres in Sarita Vihar and 964 litres in Tilak Nagar. A large number of liquor bottles were spread on concrete stretches and a road roller was used to crush them, they said. "Seizure of liquor smuggled into Delhi and its destruction is a routine exercise," said a senior Excise department official. The enforcement activity by the department will pick up further once Delhi Police personnel are deputed at its Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB), officials said. Thirty nine police personnel deployed at EIB were repatriated to Delhi Police in August. The move came on the heels of a CBI probe recommended by the LG VK Saxena into alleged irregularities in implementation of now scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22. Among the ...

Punjab Police busts cross-border drone-based arms smuggling module

Punjab Police has busted a cross-border drone-based arms smuggling module with the arrest of five men during the week, officials said on Saturday. A cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition were also recovered from them, Punjab Police said in a statement quoting Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. The arrested accused include Surinder Singh of Barwala village in Tarn Taran and brothers Harchand Singh and Gursahib Singh of Valtoha in Amritsar. The police have recovered Rs 1.01 crore in cash, 500 gram heroin, 17 pistols and 400 live cartridges, an MP-4 rifle and 300 rounds, two weighing machines and two currency counting machines from them, he said. On Wednesday, a team from Counter Intelligence, Amritsar, arrested two members of the module, including a prisoner identified as Jaskaran Singh and his aide Rattanbir Singh. It also recovered 10 foreign-made pistols from locations pinpointed by them, taking the total recovery of pistols to 27. DGP Yadav said Jaskaran and ...

Rs 58.5K cr of taxes lost in 5 industries due to illicit trade: FICCI study

Says 1.5 mn jobs lost because of such trade; FMCG sector worst affected

CBI raids Bengal minister Moloy Ghatak's residences in coal smuggling scam

The CBI on Wednesday morning raided several residences of West Bengal minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with its probe into a coal smuggling scam, an officer said. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths conducted raids at three houses of Ghatak in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district and one in Lake Gardens area of Kolkata. The agency, aided by a huge contingent of central paramilitary personnel, conducted searches in these properties in connection with the scam. Women officers were also part of the team. "As his name surfaced in the coal smuggling scam, we need to find out what was his role in it. We have evidence of Ghatak's involvement in the scam," the CBI officer told PTI. Ghatak was not present in any of his residences when the raids took place. The CBI sleuths took away mobile phones from the state law minister's family members and made them sit in one room in his Asansol houses, he said. The entire areas around Ghatak's residences were surrounded by central forc

TMC's Anubrata Mondal sent to 10-day CBI remand; here's what we know so far

Anubrata Mondal was arrested from his Bolpur residence, on the allegation that he was not cooperating with Central Bureau of Investigation

Married couple held for smuggling 45 hand guns at Delhi airport: Customs

The officials who made the arrest said a ballistic report will confirm whether the guns are real or not.

Human smuggling suspect from Florida released without bond

Steve Shand, 57, is charged with transport or attempted transport of illegal immigrants. He has not been charged in the deaths