Be on high alert to curb drug smuggling: FM Sitharaman to customs

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked customs officers to be on high alert to curb smuggling of drugs and ensure timely prosecution in such cases. "If gold (smuggling) hurts the economy, drugs will hurt generations ... Be on high alert in case of drug seizures and ensure time-bound prosecution. We need to bring each case to a logical conclusion," Sitharaman said.

Addressing tax officers at an event marking 60 years of the Customs Act, the minister also asked the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to chart out plans for the next 25 years on how to scale up enforcement and come up with ideas which the world could follow.

The customs department needs to use a "cocktail" of technology tools, like dark net, artificial intelligence, web3 and metaverse, Sitharaman said.


She referred to recent cases of drug seizures, which were significant in numbers. "Please ensure prosecution happens timely and if you think there are undue delays happening, you should inform the board (CBIC). It's for them to take it up as to why certain cases are languishing or why they would be delayed," she said.

Earlier on Tuesday, in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said in the current year till November 30, as much as 3,017 kg of heroin was seized, 55% of which came via the sea route.

In a written reply to a question, the minister said as per inputs received from the Narcotics Control Bureau, the main drugs smuggled through the sea route were heroin, cocaine, hashish and amphetamine type stimulants.