Instruction No. 06/2021-Customs
F. No. 394/2(364)/2020-Commr (Inv-Cus)
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs
(Investigation–Customs)
*******
New Delhi, the 19th April, 2021
To,
Principal Director General/ Director General DRI
All Principal Chief Commissioners / Chief Commissioners of Customs (All)
All Principal Chief Commissioners / Chief Commissioners of Customs & Central Tax
Sir/ Madam,
Customs field formations regularly make seizure/ commercial fraud cases. These cases are later on reported on a periodic basis on the DDM portal, though at times with delay and also informed through UO notes in important cases. Many of the cases made by the DRI/ Customs involve not only big seizures of prohibited goods or commercial frauds but at times assume larger importance due to involvement of foreign nationals, prominent persons, leading business houses or any other sensitive issue.
2. While the practice so far has been that the field formations generally keep the zonal Member or the functional Member, CBIC informed about the major cases of this nature, yet instances are noticed when the Revenue Secretary or the Board comes to know of such cases after it has appeared on news channels or social media platforms. Such a situation causes embarrassment to the Board and needs to be totally avoided. Therefore, it is requested to sensitize your officers and to ensure that in all important and sensitive cases, the Chairman as well as Zonal Member/Member (Investigation) is immediately informed by sending a preliminary report, without waiting for conclusion of search, seizure or arrest proceedings which sometimes even take more than a day or two. Formal detailed report may be sent in due course. At the same time, it is also equally important to ensure that during the search, seizure, or arrest proceedings nothing is leaked to the press or any outside agency by anyone by phone, WhatsApp or any other means till it is officially made known by issue of press note or otherwise.
3. This issues with the approval of Member (Investigation) CBIC.
Yours Sincerely
(Zubair Riaz)
Commissioner
