Page 179 - SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT FOR 2020-2021

Tobacco Control Protocol. The Tobacco Institute of India (TII) opines that India is a vulnerable target destination for smuggled cigarette trade operators given its vast land and sea borders and the “attractive tax arbitrage due to punitive taxation on cigarettes”. Besides the lucrative profits by way of evasion of customs duty, smuggled cigarettes are generally devoid of the mandated pictorial warnings under the Cigarettes and Tobacco Products Act,2003 (COTPA) which was enacted to prohibit the advertisement of, and to provide for the regulation of trade and commerce in, and
Food Safety and Standards Act 2006
Food Safety is a basic but one of the foremost requirements in any country given that it directly impacts the health of the people. India had multifarious acts and regulations to regulate food safety. In 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI) was enacted, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
production, supply and distribution of, cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The role of DRI is crucial in thwarting the smuggling of cigarettes and other tobacco products illegally into India through various sea and airports and through the porous borders, especially the borders with Nepal and Myanmar. DRI has a stellar record in enforcement activities when it comes to cigarettes and tobacco products and it has busted diverse modus operandi involving complex operations spanning across multiple states.
Section 25 of FSSAI Act deals with import of food items and further provides that “The Central Government shall, while prohibiting, restricting or otherwise regulating import of article of food under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (22 of 1992), follow the standards laid down by the Food Authority under the provisions of this Act and the Rules and regulations made there under”. This is where the role of
CHAPTER 10: ENFORCEMENT OF ALLIED ACTS: ROLE OF DRI 133