DRI detects over 1,456 smuggling cases, including financial fraud

In last 12 months, a total 1,456 cases of smuggling, including financial fraud, were detected, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stated in its Smuggling in India Report. The agency also stated that they have issued 1,254 show cause notices to the offenders.

Further, DRI has detected 940 cases of commercial fraud involving a duty amount of Rs 3,064.65 crore. "In this period, an amount of Rs 1,743.01 crore was demanded as differential duty by issuing demand-cum-show cause notices. An amount of Rs 1,517.4 crore was recovered by DRI during this period," the agency stated.

DRI claimed that they have detected various types of commercial frauds including those related to mis-declaration, mis-invoicing, drawback fraud, misuse of Preferential and Free Trade Agreements, misuse of export incentive schemes such as Export Promotion Capital Goods, advance authorisation.

The agency also stated that as the member of Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money, it has been keeping a special watch on the cases of Trade Based Money Laundering and sharing information with other agencies. It also seized 42.6 million smuggled cigarette sticks valued at Rs 34.29 crore, illicitly imported food supplements, anabolic steroids and hormone supplements valued at Rs 5.6 crore.

In the last year, DRI has saved over 4,000 tortoises and turtles from being illegally exported. The saved tortoises and turtles were rescued and rehabilitated with the help of forest officials. There have been seizures of around 294 MTs of the endemic Red Sanderswood, 70 kgs of the critically endangered Agar wood, around 690 cylinders of the internationally banned Ozone Depleting Substances (R-22 and AHC-22), elephant tusk, tiger skin of a Royal Bengal Tiger and Chinese firecrackers.