Page 115 - DRI ANNUAL REPORT EBOOK

ii. During Operation Broadsword, a significant quantity of controlled drugs was detected as a result of targeting of suspect consignments done in the run up phase itself. Approximately 12,000 tablets of Tramadol having a street value of about Rs. 16 Lakhs along with around 500 Tablets of Zolpidem having an estimated street value of Rs. 7.31 Lakhs and around 1,050 tablets of Alprazolam having an estimated valued in excess of Rs. 3 Lakhs that were destined for India were seized.
iii. During Operation Tentacle, foreign currencies amounting to Rs 10.2 Crores were seized by India, while they were being smuggled out of the country. Thus, 4,49,000 USD amounting to Rs. 3.25 Crores which was being smuggled to Hong Kong was seized at IGI Airport, New Delhi and 5 persons were arrested. In another case, 2,15,800 USD; 2,75,000 Canadian Dollars and INR 32,00,000, totally amounting to Rs. 3.28 Crores being smuggled to Bangladesh was seized at Kolkata Airport and 6 persons were arrested. In a third case, 5 persons were intercepted on board a train called Maitree Express (which runs between India and Bangladesh) and a seizure was made at Kolkata Railway Station of USD 5,13,100 equivalent to Rs. 3.6 Crores. It may be noted that smuggling of Foreign Currency out of India is mainly carried out to make payments for the gold that is smuggled into the country.
IV. Operation Sesha III
“Operation SESHA-III” to combat smuggling of endangered species of timber listed in CITES was launched under the aegis of WCO and RILO AP, after being proposed by Indian Customs during the Enforcement Committee meeting held at WCO in March 2019. Estimates of illegal trade in Timber vary from at least USD 30 Billion to USD 100 Billion globally. Smuggling of timber not only further endangers the existence of protected species but also fuels trade based money laundering since it entails financial transactions executed through informal and formal banking channels. It has also been observed that the syndicates involved in smuggling of timber have often been involved in other crimes as well. There were two regional phases of this Operation preceding the global phase. A summary of all the three phases is given below:
Operation
(duration and participation)
Seizing Countries
Total Qty (MT)
Species of timber seized
Phase I
(Feb - April 2015): 18 Countries; RILO AP & WCO
India, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
451 MT
Red Sanders, Agar Wood, Ebony, Diyar, Sri Lankan Sandalwood, Siamese Rosewood, Burmese Rosewood, Fujian Cypress
Phase II
(April - May 2017): 21 Countries; RILO (AP, ME and ESA), WCO, UNODC, INTERPOL, UNFAO
India, Sri Lanka, China,
Hong Kong SAR
215 MT
Red Sanders, Agar Wood, Siamese Rosewood, African Kino or Barwood
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