India Signs 42 Anti-Smuggling Pacts, Uses AI to Combat Illicit Trade

Mohan Kumar Singh, Member-Compliance Management, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), said that enforcement must move beyond event-based seizures to network-based disruption, the statement from FICCI said.

Addressing an event by FICCI CASCADE, he said enforcement must shift to network‑based disruption, targeting financial flows, logistics enablers and international linkages that sustain illicit ecosystems.

He said that smuggling has evolved into an organised, technology-driven economic crime with direct implications for national security and economic stability.

Referring to recent Union Budget announcements, Singh 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.

He highlighted intensified enforcement results in the first three quarters of the current financial year, including seizures of around 500 kilograms of gold, nearly 150 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, over 20 metric tonnes of red sanders, approximately 120 kilograms of cocaine.

Further, around 50 kilograms of heroin, nearly 350 kilograms of amphetamines and close to 3,700 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis were seized at airports, the statement said.

He 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.

"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.

Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE, emphasised that strong partnerships among compliant nations are essential to promote legal trade, share intelligence, and decisively punish illicit operators.

He said that intelligence-led enforcement, financial investigations, coordinated inter-agency action and international alignment are critical to address evolving smuggling methods.

- IANS