Page 3 - Smuggling

Intergovt coop essential to crack masterminds behind smuggling network: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday stressed on the need for intergovernmental cooperation to crack the masterminds behind smuggling networks and take steps to deter illicit trade. Speaking at the Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters organised by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Sitharaman said that customs authorities should share information among themselves to curb the network of illicit trade and efforts should be made to ensure that information shared is "actionable". Sitharaman also said that the nature of smuggled or illegally traded goods has not changed over the last 50-60 years and it continues to be precious metals, narcotics, precious reserves from forest or marine life. "So largely the goods which are illegally traded remain the same. There are no newer areas on which the customs authorities are baffled. If this is the way it is showing a trend over the decade, by now most of us should be fairly informed of who are the forces behind

After export ban, smuggling of rice booms along the Indo-Nepal border

At the crack of dawn every day, hushed frantic activity begins in villages located along the India-Nepal border here as some residents set out on foot or in small vehicles to smuggle rice into the neighbouring country. Young unemployed men, women and sometimes even the elderly act as carriers for local smugglers and are paid up to Rs 300 for delivering a quintal of rice to warehouses set up across the border by Nepali traders. Most of them make multiple trips to earn as much money as possible. Lakshminagar, Thoothibari, Nichlaul, Parsa Malik, Bargadwa, Bhagwanpur, Shyam Kat, Farenia, Hardi Dali and Khanuva are some of the villages from where it is very easy to cross into Nepal and rice is smuggled, police sources said. Maharajganj shares an 84-km open border with Nawalparasi and Rupandehi districts of Nepal's Lumbini province. Ram Prasad, a rice carrier, said, "The Nepali merchants have set up small warehouses along the border where we deliver the smuggled rice. The warehouses are

Black market, smuggling cost Pakistan's economy $23 bn annually: Report

Illegal activities such as black market currency trade, gold smuggling, and oil smuggling among others are costing Pakistan's economy a whopping USD 23 billion per year, according to a UK-based financial service company. ACE Money Transfer, the UK-based money transfer company, in its recent report said that the black market and smuggling of US dollars in key sectors are draining Pakistan's economy of a staggering USD 23 billion per year, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Saturday. These clandestine operations, encompassing black market currency trade, oil smuggling, gold smuggling, and import controls, have detrimental effects on Pakistan's economic stability, it said. They distort exchange rates, leading to currency devaluation, which, in turn, can fuel inflation as imported goods become costlier. Moreover, such activities undermine the efficacy of monetary policies and erode confidence in the financial system. This not only leads to a loss of government revenue but also

Several detained, ammo seized during NIA crackdown on terror-gangster nexus

The National Investigation Agency Wednesday detained several suspects during a massive multi-state crackdown on a nexus of terrorists, gangsters and drug-smugglers, an official said. The raids related to cases against the associates of Arsh Dalla, a listed terrorist, and many dreaded gangsters, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. The respective state police force provided necessary support to the daylong raids carried out at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh, a spokesperson of the federal agency said, the official said. The official said pistols, ammunition, a large number of digital devices and incriminating material were seized during the raids aimed at dismantling the terror-gangster-smuggler nexus. The action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various hardcore gangs working with drug-smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, .

Integrate HP forest, police outposts to curb smuggling: CM to officials

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday directed officials to integrate forest department outposts with police outposts to combat timber smuggling in the state. Presiding over a meeting of the forest department here, he emphasised the installation of advanced technology, including CCTV cameras, at these integrated outposts. Timber smuggling results in revenue loss for the state government and the forest department should take proactive measures to restrain the illegal trade, the chief minister was quoted as saying in a statement issued here. The forests of Himachal Pradesh serve as the lungs of north India and are highly valuable assets for the state, Sukhu said. However, the recent torrential rains have caused significant damage to these trees, resulting in immense losses, he said and stressed prompt removals of the uprooted trees from the forest land and ensuring their proper disposal. Sukhu also reviewed the working plans for harvesting Khair Trees in t

Indian-origin man used Uber to smuggle 800+ Indians into the United States

Rajinder Pal Singh admitted to taking in more than $500,000 as a key member of the smuggling ring, may face deportation after the prison term

Operation Vigil: Punjab Police files 177 FIRs against anti-social elements

The Punjab Police has registered 177 first information reports (FIRs) against anti-social elements and drugs smugglers across the state under its two-day 'Operation Vigil', officials said on Wednesday. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday went to Ludhiana bus stand to lead the entire police force to carry out this multi-pronged checking and area domination programme, which commenced at 10 am on Tuesday. The operation was launched against drugs and anti-social elements, said an official statement here on Wednesday. Special DGP (law and order) Arpit Shukla said that police teams have also recovered 2.5kg heroin and over three quintals of poppy husk, besides, other narcotics, pharma drugs and huge quantity of illicit liquor and 'lahan' (raw material used to make liquor) during the statewide operation. He said that over 17,500 police personnel under the supervision of gazetted rank officers conducted checks at 185 railway stations, 230 bus stands, 1,198 hotels/sarais and

Have to build drug-free nation by 2047, says Shah in anti-narcotics meeting

Amit Shah launched a mobile app and web portal 'Map Drugs', which will help in identify and eradicate illegal farming in India

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