India has significantly strengthened its international enforcement architecture with 42 Mutual Customs Cooperation Agreements (MoUs) already signed and 21 more under negotiation with major trading partners, said Mohan Kumar Singh, Member – Compliance Management, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), on Wednesday.
Addressing the 5th Edition of Anti-Smuggling Day organised by FICCI CASCADE, Singh said that smuggling has evolved into an organised, technology-driven economic crime with direct implications for national security and economic stability.
“Our customs formations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence have intensified enforcement efforts significantly. In the first three quarters of the current financial year alone, we have seized around 500 kgs of gold, nearly 150 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, over 20 metric tonnes of red sanders, approximately 120 kgs of cocaine, around 50 kgs of heroin, nearly 350 kgs of amphetamines, and close to 3,700 kgs of hydroponic cannabis at airports,” Singh said.
“We have also detected over 100 wildlife trafficking cases, along with seizures involving dual-use goods, arms, ammunition, drones, and Fake Indian Currency Notes,” he added.
Singh emphasised that today’s smuggling syndicates are commodity-agnostic and technologically agile, combining traditional concealment techniques with digital anonymity, complex financial layering, and cross-border coordination.
“Enforcement must move beyond event-based seizures to network-based disruption. We need to target financial flows, logistics enablers, and international linkages that sustain these illicit ecosystems,” he said.
“Customs acts as the first line of defence at the country’s borders. Through risk-based inspections, advanced cargo screening, non-intrusive examination systems, and AI-driven analytics, we are identifying suspicious consignments before they enter the domestic market,” he added.
Referring to recent Union Budget announcements, he noted that AI-powered image analytics and expanded container scanning across major ports will further strengthen enforcement capabilities, while GST simplification and customs reforms continue to promote compliance and reduce incentives for illicit trade.