AI, tech to scan cargo without disrupting trade: CBIC Chairman

New Delhi: India plans to significantly expand the use of artificial intelligence, advanced image analytics and non-intrusive scanning technologies to detect illicit trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) chairman Vivek Chaturvedi said at Ficci-CASCADE's 'MASCRADE 2026'.

The government is working towards a phased system that could eventually scan every consignment entering the country, Chaturvedi said.

The shift is aimed at moving customs enforcement from physical inspection towards intelligence-led, technology-driven risk assessment, he said, stressing that the objective is not merely to increase seizures and arrests but to disrupt illicit supply chains.


He said customs inspections at the borders are not to slow down commerce, but to make the movement of legitimate commerce faster, safer and predictable," Chaturvedi said, adding that smuggled goods create a parallel supply chain.

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"Success should never be measured simply by what we seize, but also by what we are able to prevent," he said.

In 2024-25, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence booked more than 3,000 commercial cases involving about ₹4,000 crore in duty, export and incentive amounts, which otherwise would have contributed to public revenues and services.

The CBIC chief said illicit trade has evolved beyond the conventional movement of prohibited goods across borders. Criminal networks are increasingly exploiting legitimate logistics infrastructure and documentation to facilitate this.

He asked businesses to share with enforcement agencies any information they might have about counterfeit goods being smuggled into the country. Apart from significant health risks, proceeds from the sale of these items are often used to fund organised crime and terrorism.

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"The fight against illicit trade is not merely an economic imperative, nor should it be viewed simply through the lens of revenue loss. It is a security imperative. It is a governance imperative and, ultimately, an imperative for peace and stability of nations across the globe," said Anil Rajput, chairman, Ficci-CASCADE.