Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to celebrate 64th Founding Day today

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 64th Founding Day on Saturday.

The two days event being held on December 4-5, 2021 is scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

The Ministry of Finance in an official release said that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is the premier intelligence and enforcement agency of the Government of India on anti-smuggling matters.

Over the past six decades, DRI has earned a formidable reputation in protecting the country's economic frontiers and countering the menace of smuggling, tax evasion, commercial fraud, fake Indian currency, and trade-based money laundering.

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 takes the opportunity of its founding day to also organise a Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting for effectively engaging with partner Customs organisations and International agencies where representatives of 12 Customs administrations covering the Asia-Pacific region will attend the meeting virtually whereas representatives of 6 Customs administrations will be attending, physically.

Further, officials from three international organisations, viz. World Customs Organisation, Interpol and Regional Intelligence Liaison Office - Asia Pacific (RILO AP) will attend the meeting virtually and an official from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will attend the meeting physically.

DRI would also be issuing the current edition of "Smuggling in India Report 2020-2021" on this occasion. The report highlights the performance of DRI over the last year and captures issues related to national security, foreign trade policy, gold smuggling, environmental violations, narcotics, import and export frauds, violations of allied Acts, international cooperation, public health and safety.

( With inputs from ANI )