ET TechThe Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has notified controlled delivery regulation, which allows customs officials to install tracking devices to monitor the movement of "suspect" consignment.
The new regulation, aimed at curbing smuggling, has included gold and silvers, narcotic drug and psychotropic substances, precious and semi-precious stones, liquor; currency; cigarettes, tobacco; wildlife products and antiques in its list.
This will allow a customs officer at the ports to earmark both export and import consignments for controlled delivery on "reasonable belief" that it is "suspect" and can monitor the movement.
The notification says that if a proper officer having a reasonable belief, that a suspect consignment, is being imported into or exported out of India, in the form of the baggage or otherwise, shall file a report in FORM-I proposing to undertake controlled delivery of such consignment.
The report has to be approved and authorised by the specified officer, which will be principal additional director general or Additional Director general of Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence (DGRI).
As per the notification, the customs officer must seek approval as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours after making the controlled delivery, if the officer is unable to get it before doing so.
It adds that upon receiving the approval of the specified authority to undertake controlled delivery, the proper officer may, "if required, affix any mark or install any special investigative tools, including devices for track-and-trace monitoring of the suspect consignment, during the course of controlled delivery operation".
This has to be done without impacting or tampering with the nature of the said consignment as far as possible.
The specified authority, while approving the controlled delivery of the suspect consignment, may also issue a general authorization to any other enforcement authority, barring foreign agencies where more Authorization is required.
The officers are also required to give a detailed report on such authorised operations.
Tax officials said that the rule is aimed at curbing smuggling, and will not have adverse impact on businesses.
"This will have no impact on businesses and the move will help in tracking the whole chain and reaching to real culprits involved in smuggling," officials said.
The new regulation, aimed at curbing smuggling, has included gold and silvers, narcotic drug and psychotropic substances, precious and semi-precious stones, liquor; currency; cigarettes, tobacco; wildlife products and antiques in its list.
This will allow a customs officer at the ports to earmark both export and import consignments for controlled delivery on "reasonable belief" that it is "suspect" and can monitor the movement.
The notification says that if a proper officer having a reasonable belief, that a suspect consignment, is being imported into or exported out of India, in the form of the baggage or otherwise, shall file a report in FORM-I proposing to undertake controlled delivery of such consignment.
The report has to be approved and authorised by the specified officer, which will be principal additional director general or Additional Director general of Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence (DGRI).
As per the notification, the customs officer must seek approval as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours after making the controlled delivery, if the officer is unable to get it before doing so.
It adds that upon receiving the approval of the specified authority to undertake controlled delivery, the proper officer may, "if required, affix any mark or install any special investigative tools, including devices for track-and-trace monitoring of the suspect consignment, during the course of controlled delivery operation".
This has to be done without impacting or tampering with the nature of the said consignment as far as possible.
The specified authority, while approving the controlled delivery of the suspect consignment, may also issue a general authorization to any other enforcement authority, barring foreign agencies where more Authorization is required.
The officers are also required to give a detailed report on such authorised operations.
Tax officials said that the rule is aimed at curbing smuggling, and will not have adverse impact on businesses.
"This will have no impact on businesses and the move will help in tracking the whole chain and reaching to real culprits involved in smuggling," officials said.
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