New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday will inaugurate the 65th founding day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), along with the Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary.

During the event, DRI said it will take the opportunity of its founding day to organise Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting (RCEM) for effectively engaging with partner Customs organisations and International agencies like World Customs Organisation, INTERPOL for enforcement-related issues.

This year, 22 Customs administrations covering the Asia-Pacific region along with international organisations such as World Customs Organisation (WCO), Interpol, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Regional Intelligence Liaison Office - Asia Pacific (RILO AP) have been invited to the event, according to the statement from the ministry of finance.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 65th Founding Day on December 5-6 this year.

DRI is the premier intelligence and enforcement agency on anti-smuggling matters under the aegis of Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC), the ministry said, adding that it came into existence on December 4, 1957. The DRI with its headquarters at New Delhi has 12 zonal units, 35 regional units and 15 sub-regional units, with a working strength of about 800 officials.

For more than six decades, DRI with its presence across India and abroad has been carrying out its mandate of preventing and detecting cases of smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, precious metals, wildlife items, cigarettes, arms, ammunition and explosives, counterfeit currency notes, foreign currency, hazardous and environmentally-sensitive materials, and antiques, among others. DRI is also engaged in unearthing commercial frauds and Customs duty evasion.

According to the ministry, DRI has also been at the forefront in international Customs collaboration under Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements signed with various countries, where thrust is on information exchange and learning from the best practices of other Customs administrations.

The current edition of -- Smuggling in India Report 2021-22 -- will be released by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister on this occasion. The report brings together the trends in the field of anti- smuggling and commercial fraud and DRI's performance and experience over the last financial year. (ANI)