The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has made a significant breakthrough in a case of misdeclaration involving electronic waste worth around INR 223 crore (USD 26.87 million). A company based in Surat imported these materials, falsely labelling them as aluminium scrap. Officials have confirmed that the director of the company has been arrested, highlighting a crucial step in tackling illegal waste imports that are disguised as metal scrap.
The DRI, which is India’s leading anti-smuggling agency, carried out a seizure involving four containers at Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai. This action was part of their focused enforcement initiative, known as Operation DigiScrap, as confirmed by officials.
According to officials, the operation led to the recovery and seizure of a whopping 17,760 old and used laptops, 11,340 mini and barebone CPUs, 7,140 processor chips and a variety of other electronic components. These items were confiscated under the Customs Act.
The official further explained that importing old, used or refurbished electronic items, like laptops, CPUs and similar products, is completely banned under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and the Electronics and IT Goods (Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021.
Additionally, the government’s policy dictates that any prohibited imports are either sent back out of the country or made unusable and disposed of as scrap. The director of a firm based in Surat, who is reportedly linked to the planning, procurement and financing of the smuggled e-waste, has been arrested and is now in judicial custody, as stated in the report.
DRI officials emphasised that these seizures are crucial for safeguarding India against the illegal dumping of hazardous electronic waste, which can endanger public health, environmental safety and the local electronics industry.
They pointed out that this operation sends a strong warning to smugglers trying to bypass legal protections and highlights the increased vigilance of Indian enforcement agencies in tackling unlawful and environmentally damaging imports. This initiative marks a significant victory for both environmental conservation and the domestic tech sector, which faces challenges from unregulated and unsafe foreign electronic products.
To know more about the global recycled aluminium industry, read “World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry forecast to 2032”
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