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The volume and variety of contraband seized in India
Context
The report, ‘Smuggling in India Report, 2021-22’ has shown concern regarding the volume of illegal commodities seized and describes the kinds of items smuggled in India.
Key highlights from the Report:
- Items seized by Indian Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
- Gold, dried seahorses, heroin and red sander, etc.
- Gold: Worth of over 800 kilograms of gold transported illegally (worth over Rs.400 crore)
- Most of the seized gold originated in Myanmar.
- Illegal foreign currency: DRI seized over Rs 1,100 lakhs worth of illegal foreign currency.
- Narcotics: 28,334 kilos were seized.
- 1,100 lakh sticks of cigarettes worth over Rs 93 crore
- Cigarettes are smuggled into India given the high taxes imposed on local brands.
- Most seized packages do not contain pictorial warnings as mandated by the Indian government.
- Crimes related to the environment:
- Elephant tusks worth over Rs 700 crores were recovered by the DRI.
- A kilo of Ambergris is worth Rs 1 crore.
- Ambergris or whale vomit: It is produced by the digestive system of sperm whales and is used in luxury perfumery, is a banned substance in India.
- Seahorses: They have anti-inflammatory qualities and are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Indian star tortoises: They are smuggled into the country and sold as exotic pets.
The Northeast smuggling routes:
- 73 per cent of the gold caught had been brought through Myanmar and Bangladesh.
- 37% of all the gold seized in FY22 was from Myanmar. 20% of it originated from West Asia.
- Many international reports suggest that smuggled gold is brought into Myanmar from China through the towns of Ruili and Muse on the Chinese and Myanmarese sides of the border respectively.
- Muse is located in the Shan State in Northeastern Myanmar and Ruili is in the Dehong Dai Prefecture of Yunnan Province, China.
About the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI):
- It is India's chief anti-smuggling intelligence, investigations, and operations agency.
- It works under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance.
- It is headed by a Director General of the rank of Special Secretary to the Government of India.
- DRI works to secure India's national and economic security by preventing the outright smuggling of firearms, gold, narcotics, fake Indian Currency notes, antiques, wildlife, and environmental products.
- It also works to prevent the proliferation of black money, commercial frauds, and trade-based money laundering.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi.
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