The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CIBC)has now introduced controlled delivery regulation, which means customs officials are allowed to install tracking devices to supervise the movement of suspicious consignments. This measure is taken as a measure to suppress smuggling in the country.
The new policy will allow both export and import consignments to be controlled and monitored. Consignments of gold, silver, narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precious and semi- precious stones, liquor, currency, cigarettes and tobacco, wildlife products and antiques all fall in the list.
Tax officials claim that the move is a preventive step to restrict gold smuggling. Officials have been already asked by customs to be vigilant as they predict that instances of gold smuggling may increase with the rise in import duty.
Any officer who wants to put a tracking device on the consignment, needs to first get a Form 1 filled. The report then needs to be approved and authorized by the principal additional director general or additional director general of Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence (DGRI).
According to the notice, approval must be seeked by the customs officer as soon as possible, but if the officer is unable to get the approval before the controlled delivery, he/ she is only given 72 hours after the controlled delivery to do so.
After obtaining approval for controlled delivery by the specified authority, the officer may, if needed, install any mark or tool, for monitoring and supervision of the consignment, during the delivery operation.
