11^th February, 2025, Tuesday | New Delhi

Smuggling is a widespread issue that transcends national borders, affecting countries and regions globally. Despite governments ongoing efforts to curb this illegal trade such as bolstering border security, enforcing stricter trade regulating, international cooperation to dismantle criminal syndicates—smuggling remains a persistent challenge that needs immediate attention. In line with our ongoing efforts, FICCI CASCADE organised its 4 th edition of Anti- Smuggling Day on 11 th February 2025 at Hotel Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi. The conference provided a platform to the stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions on the evolving nature of smuggling and its impact on economies and societies.

Mr. Mohan Kumar Singh, Member (Compliance Management), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs while addressing the conference emphasized the numerous challenges law enforcement agencies face in combating smuggling. These challenges include targeting criminal syndicates and identifying the key financiers behind the illegal operations, rather than merely apprehending the carriers. To effectively disrupt smuggling networks, it is crucial to have comprehensive data, specialized skill sets, and advanced tools for data analysis, along with enhanced intelligence coordination.

He highlighted that DRI has taken the initiative to establish an anti-smuggling coordination platform, encouraging all agencies to collaborate, share relevant information, and work collectively to dismantle smuggling operations and apprehend the true masterminds. Furthermore, he mentioned that the United Nations’ recognition of Anti-Smuggling Day will help raise international awareness, strengthening global efforts to combat this issue.

Highlighting the colossal nature of the problem of smuggling in the context of a rising Bharat, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE asserted that along with the government and enforcement agencies it is critical that the consumers increasingly come forward and play their part in the battle against smuggling and illicit trade. He underscored the necessity of educating children and youth by raising awareness about the hazardous impact of smuggling. Furthermore, Mr. Rajput emphasized the pivotal role of advanced technology in combating smuggling and its related activities The synergy of these efforts will pave the way for a strong and enduring response to this formidable challenge.

While speaking on the evolving challenges of smuggling, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, IPS, Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Government of India highlighted how technology, particularly the use of drones, has enabled the creation of new smuggling models with substantial profit margins. He emphasized that the government’s stance is unequivocal—smuggling and infiltration will not be tolerated. Although there have been multiple instances of drones carrying illicit goods being intercepted and shot down, he acknowledged that significant challenges remain due to the vast expanse of India’s borders.

Mr. R.K. Pachnanda, Former Director General, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indo Tibetan Border Police acknowledged the significance of the fourth annual Anti-Smuggling Day and commended FICCI CASCADE for its dedicated efforts in combating smuggling. He accentuated that illicit trade poses a serious threat to national security, and the government has been actively addressing this challenge by considering the unique geographical and operational complexities of India’s diverse border regions. Mr. Pachnanda mentioned that the government’s proactive approach has strengthened the response of border guarding forces and enforcement agencies, fostering greater coordination among administrative, security, diplomatic, intelligence, and economic bodies.

The panel discussion titled “Unified Enforcement Against Smuggling: Strategies and Cross-Agency Synergies” featured distinguished panellists who discussed the imperative role of technology in enhancing cross-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and joint efforts in the battle against smuggling. The panellists included Dr. D P Dash, Former Pr. Director-General, DRI, Former Chairman, Enforcement Committee, World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE Mr. Amit Mohan Govil, Director General, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau; Mr. Vashishtha Chaudhary, Commissioner of Customs, ICD PPG and other ICDs, Delhi Customs; Colonel Deepankar Das, VSM, Col (Ops and Coord), Assam Rifles.

Another panel discussion titled “Building Alliances with Global Partners to Combat Smuggling – Initiatives and Solutions” brought together a panel of experts, including Ms. Sungita Sharma, Former Special Secretary & Member (Admin), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE; Mr. Jayant Misra, Expert & Consultant, UNODC; Mr. Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, Former High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom; Mr. Hiroyuki Nakano, Senior Director, Regional Intellectual Property Attached for South Asia, JETRO. The discussion focused on strategies for forming a cohesive global alliance to tackle the complex challenges posed by smuggling, including the use of advanced surveillance technologies, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, which can be deployed on a global scale.

In his valedictory remarks, Mr. Brij Bhushan Gupta, Pr. Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, emphasized that with rapidly evolving threats such as cryptocurrency-based transactions, advanced concealment techniques, and maritime smuggling, enforcement alone is not sufficient. The trade community plays a crucial role in identifying risks, providing data insights, and developing cutting-edge detection technologies. A collaborative approach is the key to staying ahead of illicit networks and ensuring a fair and transparent trade ecosystem.

Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs proposed the vote of thanks and urged the UN General Assembly to recognize a global ‘Anti-Smuggling Day.’ He underscored that by uniting governments, law enforcement, industries, and consumers, we can build a strong global movement to dismantle smuggling networks and safeguard economies, public health, and national security.

As a run-up to this year’s Anti-Smuggling Day, and to sensitize the youth on the menace of smuggled goods, FICCI CASCADE had organized a Digital Art Competition on the theme, ‘Stand Against Smuggling’. The competition received an overwhelming response, with an astounding 3,000 entries from across the country, showcasing their remarkable talent and creativity. The initiative seeks to inspire a deeper commitment among the youth to contribute to societal change by championing ethical consumer behaviour and thereby becoming responsible citizens.

The esteemed jury for the competition featured Justice Manmohan Sarin, Former Chief Justice, Former Lokayukta, NCT of Delhi, Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Judge, High Court of Delhi; Mr. Sanjeev Tripathi, Former Chief, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Mr. P K Malhotra, Former Secretary Law, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India. The winners of the competition were felicitated during the conference by the esteemed dignitaries.

The conference witnessed an overwhelming response by more than 350 industry captions, representatives from consumer forums, enforcement agencies, government officials, legal experts amongst others.