Better coordination with state agencies must to nab masterminds: FM to DRI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked revenue intelligence officers to develop better coordination with state and central agencies and expeditiously work on “actionable intelligence” to nab masterminds behind smuggling syndicates.

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Stressing that narcotics had become the “biggest threat” and schools and colleges were the “first victims” of drug abuse, Sitharaman said if the menace was to be stopped, the DRI must coordinate with the state police. “We need to have greater coordination and greater understanding of the size as well as scope of the threat,” she added.

“Leverage all available information and data on an entity, individual and their behavioural patterns to uncover deeper systemic risks and threats by connecting dots. The goal must be to dismantle entire network and the syndicate, not just to intercept fragments,” she told officers after inaugurating the new headquarters building of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

In 2024, the department seized 62 kg of heroin, 85 kg of cocaine, more than 10,000 kg of ganja and over 600 kg of synthetic drugs, including Ketamine, Methamphetamine and Ecstasy.