DRI to mark its 63rd Founding Day Celebrations Friday

Virtual Panel Discussion on Trade Based Money Laundering

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 63^rd Founding Day on Friday, the 4^th of December, 2020. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Home Affairs, this time the celebration will be done virtually on a digital platform in the presence of the Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman along with the Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

As part of this year’s Founding Day celebrations, a panel discussion on Trade Based Money Laundering is also been organised through video conferencing with the representatives from Australian Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs, Customs Administration of the Netherlands and INTERPOL as panelists.

About DRI

For more than six decades, DRI with its presence across India and abroad has been carrying out its mandate of countering organised crime groups engaged in smuggling of contraband goods such as arms, ammunitions & explosives, narcotic drugs & psychotropic substances, gold & diamonds, counterfeit currency notes, wildlife items, hazardous & environmentally sensitive materials and antiques. DRI also has expertise in unearthing commercial frauds, plugging leakage of Government’s tax revenue and countering trade based money laundering and black money. In addition, DRI has been at the forefront in international Customs collaborations and has Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements with over 60 countries, where thrust is on information exchange and learning from the best practices between Customs administrations.

DRI has made its presence felt over the financial year 2019- 20. The Organisation demonstrated prompt action in detection of 412 cases of Smuggling resulting in seizure of contraband worth ₹ 1,949 crore. Through Risk Assessment Techniques and Data Analytics DRI was able to unearth 761 complex cases of Customs involving duty evasion of amount ₹ 2,183 crore. DRI has been on the forefront of Nation’s fight against the trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. In a swift action the Team DRI busted two factories manufacturing ephedrine in Maharashtra. In its earnest efforts to preserve the natural habitat and the wildlife, the Directorate besides intercepting consignments of live animals and birds has struck fear among the smugglers of Red Sanders, of which a large quantity of 174.5 metric tonnes was seized. As part of its endeavour to preserve and promote public health, DRI made a number of seizures of smuggled Cigarettes valued at ₹ 77 crore, detected and prevented smuggling of areca nut and E-wastes. During the financial year DRI arrested 837 economic offenders thus denting the mafia network. The Directorate has significantly contributed to the cause of national security by ensuring interception of dual purpose technology goods.

This year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the officers of DRI worked tirelessly and made some significant seizures. The indomitable spirit of the personnel of DRI has got reflected in their courageous actions against smugglers even at the risk of their own life. In November 2020, officers of DRI intercepted 2 trucks and seized 66.4 kg Gold valued at ₹ 35 crore which was smuggled into India through Indo-Myanmar border. In another case booked in August this year, officers of DRI seized 83.62 kg Gold valued at ₹ 42.89 crore from eight passengers who were travelling from Dibrugarh to New Delhi. In a three-day long operation codenamed operation ‘Calypso’, DRI busted an international drug smuggling racket with the seizure of 3.3 kg of cocaine.

Trade Based Money Laundering: international panel convened to boost detection, data sharing and cross border customs cooperation. A virtual panel on Trade Based Money Laundering was held during the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's 63rd Founding Day to advance international cooperation, information exchange and operational best practices; the Directorate emphasises use of Risk Assessment Techniques and data analytics, maintains Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements with over sixty countries, and reported numerous seizures, complex duty evasion investigations and arrests underscoring intelligence led interdiction against organised smuggling and trade based laundering.