Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Monday called for intergovernmental cooperation to curb smuggling so that the “brain” behind such activities get caught instead of smaller fry. She also said antiques from museums across the world should be returned to their respective countries.
Sitharaman said technology and “actionable information” are important tools in curbing smuggling. “It is important for all governments to know how to deter smuggling activities which are endangering our wild flora and fauna. How to deter activities where networked groups think that small fry can be sacrificed, police or customs authorities can catch hold of this small and larger fish, which is the brain behind, is never going to be caught,” she said at the Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters organised by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Sitharaman said the nature of smuggled or illegally traded goods has not changed over the last 50-60 years — it continues to be precious metals, narcotics, and precious reserves from forest or marine life. “I place a lot of emphasis on intergovernmental cooperation, along with WCO (World Customs Organisation), so that we are able to crack the brains behind it (smuggling), the masterminds behind it, with the help from local authorities and governments,” she said.
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Deterrence of illicit trade will be strengthened if all confiscated goods are destroyed and not put into the market, she said. “It is also periodically our duty to restore confidence in the minds of citizens saying such activities will be punished, will be curbed, and will be deterred. So if only gold, cigarettes, narcotics, antiques and wildlife materials are being smuggled, it is your experience which will have to show us the direction and the path forward so that we are able to contain this evil because it hurts all our economies,” Sitharaman said.
The minister noted the importance of technology in curbing smuggling saying enforcement agencies are at an advantageous position as they are armed with technology. “Technology should go hand in hand with information sharing. And when you share information, it should be actionable,” the minister said.
The minister also said that antiques that are stolen and smuggled should be returned to their home countries. “India has lost a lot of them (precious antiques). We see them all over the world when we go to museums across the world. We need all of them to come back to their respective (countries), so should the Egyptians, the Romans be feeling about their antiques that they have lost. So all the ancient civilizations have lost a lot of their antiques and they should rightfully be back in their respective countries,” she said.
Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra at the same event said
smuggling is a multidimensional issue with a detrimental impact on the economy of a country and national security, thus, making it crucial to have coordination among different agencies and countries “Use of highly sophisticated networks and advanced technology by the criminals make detection of these trans-national crimes extremely difficult. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to counter such cross-border crimes is to improve cooperation and coordination among different agencies and countries. This can involve sharing intelligence, increasing communication, and implementing joint operations to identify and intercept smuggled goods,” he said.
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Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) chief Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said as global trade continues to interconnect and economies flourish, there is a corresponding rise in the potential for unlawful movement of restricted items like antiques, cigarettes, gold and endangered wildlife species, amongst others. “The undercurrent of illegal trade in narcotics remains strong. Global drug trafficking is estimated to be worth $650 billion, contributing 30 per cent of the overall illicit economy. It is having a devastating impact…,” he said, adding the crimes involving illicit trade many a time have possible linkages with money laundering and terror financing, which impact national security.