Finance minister inaugurates DRI’s 64th Founding Day celebrations

• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the apex anti-smuggling intelligence and investigation agency functioning under the aegis of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), celebrated its 64th Founding Day.
• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs congratulated DRI and its officers on their performance and commendable service, especially during the pandemic.
• The Finance Minister also lauded DRI’s compact strength of about 800 officers for their relentless efforts despite the imminent risks and expressed her respect and condolences to the brave hearts of DRI who lost their lives during the pandemic.

About Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) was constituted in 1957 as the apex anti-smuggling intelligence and investigation agency.
• It functions under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to counter the menace of smuggling in India.
• Over the years, DRI has established itself as the premier intelligence agency commanding the trust of international and national agencies with its intelligence inputs on myriad subjects — ranging from fake currency notes, narcotics, gold, arms & ammunition, wildlife, cultural heritage and commercial fraud.
• The organisation has sought to reorient itself to new and emerging challenges, such as those relating to black money, money laundering and narco-terrorism.
• DRI has also been at the forefront in international Customs collaboration through Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements of CBIC with over 60 other countries, where thrust is on information exchange and learning from the best practices of other Customs administrations.
• DRI enforces the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and over fifty other allied Acts including the Arms Act, NDPS Act, COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities), Wildlife Act, Antiquities Act, etc.
• It undertakes collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of intelligence relating to smuggling, carries out investigations, adjudication of cases and prosecution of the arrested persons.
• The DRI has also been designated as the lead agency for S-CORD, the national anti-smuggling coordination centre.
• Being the apex anti-smuggling enforcement organisation and given its track record in collaborative endeavours, DRI is expected to carry along the border agencies towards the common objective of thwarting smuggling activities that pose a grave threat to national security and economic well-being of the country.