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disruptions, further amplified international gold demand, increasing smuggling
pressures on India. Despite customs duty reduction in 2024, India’s dependence
on imported gold maintains a strong incentive for illicit inflows. DRI continues to
lead the national response to these threats through targeted intelligence, interdic-
tion of sophisticated concealments, and dismantling of organised syndicates. In FY
2024–25, DRI executed 221 gold seizures, totalling 1,073 kg, valued at approxi-
mately ₹785 crore. In FY 2024–25, gold smuggling declined after the Govern-
ment’s duty reduction, though activity remained concentrated in Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and West Bengal. Most DRI seizures occurred along land
routes, with emerging methods such as gold in paste form and the increased use
of domestic flights indicating continued adaptation by smuggling networks.

India’s rich biodiversity, constituting nearly 8% of global flora and fauna, faces
persistent threats from an expanding illegal wildlife trade. As both a source and
transit hub, India is vulnerable to trafficking of native species such as red sanders,
tiger parts, pangolin scales, and ivory, as well as exotic species smuggled from
Southeast Asia. In FY 2024–25, DRI effected 38 wildlife-related seizures, high-
lighting the scale, variety, and sophistication of these networks. Wildlife smug-
gling in FY 2024–25 increasingly featured smaller consignments, greater bag-
gage-based concealment of exotic species, mostly by Indian carriers, and more
sophisticated cargo concealment methods such as red sanders behind granite
slabs or turtles under fish crates.

India’s economic expansion has also seen a rise in increasingly complex commer-
cial fraud, involving undervaluation, misdeclaration, misclassification, misuse of
notifications and misuse of export incentives. In FY 2024–25, DRI booked 542
import fraud cases involving ₹2,606 crore in duty evasion and 63 export fraud
cases involving ₹123 crore in fraudulent benefits, reflecting the growing scale
and complexity of commercial customs fraud.

The surge of counterfeit and substandard goods in global supply chains poses
grave risks to public health, consumer safety, fair competition, and economic
integrity. DRI continues to act as a critical safeguard by intercepting goods
infringing trademarks, copyrights, and those not meeting quality standards. In FY
2024–25, DRI seized 4,613 MT of smuggled areca nuts valued at ₹234 crore,
122.18 MT of smuggled poppy seeds worth ₹22.28 crore, and 9.4 crore sticks of
smuggled cigarettes valued at ₹158.46 crore, underscoring its role in protecting
consumers and legitimate commerce.

In an increasingly interconnected world, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, com-
mercial fraud, and environmental crimes intersect with money laundering, illicit

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