Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 5 urged the personnel of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to find out if there’s a pattern between gold imports and gold smuggling.
The finance minister was speaking at the DRI's 65th Foundation Day. "DRI should look at whether there is any relation between higher gold imports and higher detection of gold smuggling. Customs duty on gold does not determine the extent of smuggling, which seems to have its own cycle pattern.”
Smuggler cannot be smarter than the authorities, the FM said adding that India needs "global cooperation on drug hauls."
The FM further asserted the need for firewalls around DRI systems data during her address. She said that technology can be "a double-edged dagger;" and raised the issue of the "need to protect technology and systems."
Sitharaman also unveiled the "Smuggling in India Report 2021-22" on the occasion. The report brings together the trends in the field of anti-smuggling and commercial fraud and DRI's performance and experience over the last financial year.
According to the report, there has been a surge in smuggling using the courier route. It was earlier that the gold smuggling was done via mode of in-person smuggling. This is due to the disruption in international passenger air traffic due to the travel restrictions amid pandemic.
The DRI is celebrating its 65th Founding Day on December 5-6 this year, a finance ministry statement said on Sunday.
The finance minister inaugurated the 2-day event along with Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
DRI is the intelligence and enforcement agency on anti-smuggling matters under the aegis of Central Board of Indirect taxes & Customs (CBIC).
DRI came into existence on December 4, 1957 and is headquartered at New Delhi. It has 12 zonal units, 35 regional units and 15 sub-regional units, with a working strength of about 800 officials.
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