Mumbai/New Delhi | Feb 11,2026 | SKY LINK TIMES
India Cracks Down on Smuggling with AI Tech:
India has significantly strengthened its anti-smuggling enforcement framework by signing 42 Mutual Customs Cooperation Agreements (MCCAs) and initiating negotiations for 21 more with key trading partners, officials said on Wednesday. The move marks a major shift toward technology-driven and intelligence-led border enforcement.
The announcement was made during an event organised by FICCI CASCADE, where senior officials highlighted the growing complexity of smuggling networks and the urgent need for global coordination and advanced surveillance tools.
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India’s Shift: From Seizures to Network Disruption
Mohan Kumar Singh, Member (Compliance Management), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), stressed that enforcement agencies must move beyond isolated seizures and focus on dismantling entire criminal ecosystems.
“Enforcement must shift to network-based disruption — targeting financial flows, logistics enablers and international linkages that sustain illicit ecosystems,” Singh said, according to a statement issued by FICCI.
He warned that smuggling has evolved into a technology-driven organised economic crime with serious implications for national security and economic stability.
AI-Powered Scanning & Customs Reforms
Referring to recent Union Budget announcements, Singh noted that AI-powered image analytics and expanded container scanning at major ports will significantly enhance cargo inspection capabilities. These tools allow customs officials to detect suspicious consignments before they enter the domestic market.
He added that GST simplification and customs reforms are designed to improve compliance and reduce incentives for illicit trade.
Customs authorities are now relying on:
• Risk-based inspections
• Advanced cargo screening
• Non-intrusive examination systems
• AI-driven analytics
“Customs acts as the first line of defence at the country’s borders,” Singh said.
Major Seizures in FY 2025–26
The intensified enforcement drive has already yielded substantial results in the first three quarters of the current financial year. According to officials, seizures include:
• Around 500 kilograms of gold
• Nearly 150 million illicit cigarette sticks
• Over 20 metric tonnes of red sanders
• Approximately 120 kilograms of cocaine
• Around 50 kilograms of heroin
• Nearly 350 kilograms of amphetamines
Close to 3,700 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis
Most of these seizures were made at airports and ports, highlighting the scale and sophistication of international smuggling syndicates.
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International Collaboration Key to Success
Anil Rajput, Chairman of FICCI CASCADE, emphasised that partnerships between compliant nations are essential to combat cross-border illicit trade.
He called for intelligence-led enforcement, financial investigations, coordinated inter-agency action, and global alignment to effectively dismantle evolving smuggling networks.
Experts note that today’s smuggling syndicates are “commodity-agnostic” — switching between gold, narcotics, wildlife products, and other contraband — while using digital anonymity, financial layering, and cross-border coordination to evade authorities.
With expanded multilateral agreements and AI-backed surveillance, India is positioning itself to counter organised smuggling networks more proactively and systematically.
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