Customs seized goods worth Rs 110 cr in NE during COVID-19 pandemic

    Guwahati, Sep 16 (PTI) The customs sleuths have seized
various goods worth Rs 110 crore in 710 operations in North
East since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country and the
region, a senior official said on Wednesday.
    Addressing a webinar on 'Combating Counterfeiting and
Smuggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond' organized
by industry chamber FICCI, Commissioner of Customs (North
East) G M Kamei said their officials are conducting raids in
coordination with other departments.
    "During the COVID-19 period, we have successfully
conducted 710 operations and seized goods worth Rs 110 crore,"
he said at the webinar by FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling
and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy
(CASCADE).
    The customs officers are working in close coordination
with Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Assam Rifles
and various state police to make the task of smugglers
difficult, Kamei said.
    Debajyoti Dutta, Secretary of Assam's Food, Civil
Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, said: "The criminals
indulging in smuggling and counterfeiting activities are
promoting crime and economic instability, and the consumers
are bearing the brunt of it."
    The menace of illicit trade is to be dealt in a
dedicated and systematic manner with concerted efforts from
all central and state enforcement agencies along with the
paramilitary forces, he added.
    Lauding the efforts of the sleuths from various
agencies, FICCI CASCADE Chairman Anil Rajput said, "The
enforcement officials have relentlessly pursued the smugglers
and counterfeiters in the North East and over the last few
months, seized contraband and illicit cigarettes, liquor,
drugs, currency and consumer goods."
    On September 6, the FICCI CASCADE had said that the
recent rise in smuggling in North East could be attributed to
economic distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic, which has
resulted in loss of jobs and lack of income due to recurrent
lockdowns. PTI TR
RG RG

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)