DRI@67: Fortifying India's economic frontlines

On December 4, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), India's premier investigative agency tasked with safeguarding the nation's economic interests, celebrates its 67th year of establishment.

- VIJAY MOHAN JAIN & AMARESH KUMAR

Although the genesis of DRI can be traced to 1953 with the formation of the Central Revenue Intelligence Board, DRI was carved out as a specialized agency in 1957, with the primary objective of curbing the smuggling of goods, particularly contraband like gold, drugs, and other prohibited items.

Operating under the Department of Revenue (DoR) until June 1970, DRI was placed under the Ministry of Home Affairs for a brief period before being assigned to the Cabinet Secretariat. In 1977, it was once again brought under the Ministry of Finance (DoR), where it continues to function today.

The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (formerly the Directorate General of Anti-Evasion/Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence), which oversees goods and services tax-related intelligence work, and the Narcotics Control Bureau, before being established as specialized agencies, were also carved out from DRI.

Over the decades, its mandate has expanded to include a wide array of economic offences, such as commercial fraud, money laundering, and trafficking in counterfeit currencies.

DRI has an impressive record over the years, with seizures of drugs, narcotics, gold, and other contraband valued at around ₹3,573 crore and Customs duty evasion of around ₹6,000 crore in 2023-24.

DRI, over time, has acted as a sentinel against global economic crime and works in close coordination with other national and international agencies. This coordination is crucial in a world where goods, money, and people travel seamlessly across borders.