India proving to be one of the top smuggling paradises on the world map

At first sight, Kathari, a nondescript fishing village on the Daman coast looks no different from the other coastal villages strung out along India's extensive coastline: a number of weather-beaten fishing boats sprawled drunkenly on the beach, tattered fishing nets pegged out to dry and a beehive cluster of thatched huts.However, the customs launch patrolling the coastline a few weeks ago did notice one unusual difference - a homing signal being transmitted from somewhere in the village. Smelling something fishy, the customs party entered the village and traced the signal to a central building comparatively larger than the rest, obviously used as storage space for the day's catch. Kathari's fishermen, it transpired, had been using some pretty potent bait. Instead of the expected collection of pungent marine life, the shed was stacked with an assortment of gleaming new electronic goodies, including tape-recorders, calculators and watches. The estimated value of the haul: Rs 5.30 lakh.Casting their net further, the customs officials discovered that the village's outward appearance of poverty was rather deceptive. Virtually every family was in proud possession of at least one expensive imported item, ranging from a two-in-one, a Seiko watch to a Japanese umbrella. Kathari, however, is hardly unique and neither is its inconspicuous affluence. It is merely one of the hundreds of strategically-located coastal villages that have, in recent years, been generously "adopted" by smuggling syndicates as convenient conduits for the ever-escalating flow of contraband into the country.Currently, it is possible to pick up the latest electronic gizmo, whether it is Sony's new Walkman variant or JVC's ultra-sophisticated video cassette recorder (VCR), within days of its rolling off the assembly line in Tokyo or Osaka, at any one of the innumerable urban outlets that have mushroomed over the past few years and put India firmly in the running for top seeding as a smugglers' paradise.Officially, the only available barometer for estimating the volume of smuggling into India is restricted to the seizure figures of contraband by customs or revenue squads. But even by that limited yardstick, it is alarmingly evident that smuggling has-become a megabuck business and is hitting new highs.In 1978, all-India contraband seizures were valued at Rs 30.94 crore. By 1979, the figure had registered a 35 per cent jump and stood at Rs 40.42 crore. In 1980, seizure figures had blossomed to Rs 52.84 crore and this year, till September, contraband catches amounted to Rs 37.33 crore.Professional Estimate: Perhaps a more accurate indicator of the scope of smuggling was recently given out by one man who should know - Yusuf Patel, allegedly one of the country's top "reformed" smugglers. In a recent interview, Patel declared that by his estimation, customs seizures accounted for approximately 10 per cent of the total contraband traffic into the country.By that reckoning, the total volume of smuggled goods pouring into the country would be in the mind-boggling region of approximately Rs 500 crore. Though other guestimates suggest the amount is closer to the Rs 1,000 crore level.More important, however, at least as far as the Government is concerned, is the other aspect of the smuggling operations: the revenue loss to the exchequer on account of smuggling. Officials involved in anti-smuggling operations are understandably reluctant to hazard a guess. "Your guess would be as good as mine," shrugs M. L. Wadhawan, director of revenue intelligence, the enforcement arm of the Finance Ministry. Wearing their official hat, most officials propagate the line that the increase in seizure figures is actually an indication of the effectiveness of anti-smuggling measures.But unofficially, they grudgingly admit that smuggling has assumed dangerous proportions and the counter-measures at their disposal are severely limited. As one official pointed out: even if the loss of revenue figures were calculated on the basis of the 320 per cent duty applicable on seized contraband, and assuming that the total seizures represented the total contraband being funnelled into India, the figure would still be in the region of Rs 1,500 crore every year.High Stakes: And, if that figure is somewhat startling it is merely an overt indication of the powerful forces at play on the smuggling scenario. One factor is, of course, the massive stakes involved. Last month, a customs patrol launch prowling the coast of Maroli in Ahmedabad district, challenged a loitering vessel. Immediately, the vessel jettisoned its cargo and escaped. The abandoned cargo recovered from the seabed, which represented only a fraction of the total cargo, included 141 sophisticated VCRs and stereo systems.According to customs sources, abandoning contraband cargoes when challenged is standard operating practice in the smuggling business and indicates that the loss is more than compensated by the huge profits involved in the consignments that escape detection. Secondly, supply is directly related to demand, which, thanks to the easy availability of black money and India's myopic and stringent regulations concerning import or possession of foreign goods, represents a bottomless pit.Sony's latest Betamax VCR, which would cost around Rs 80,000 if brought in legally by paying duty, is available at smuggling outlets in Bombay's Flora Fountain or Tardeo Market for Rs 50,000. Similarly, Sony's highly popular Walkman series, the latest status symbol in India, is available in Calcutta or Madras dockyard outlets for around Rs 1,200, just Rs 300 more than its Hong Kong price.But perhaps the single biggest factor responsible for India's sudden elevation into the international contraband circuit is its vulnerability and the fact that it is surrounded by unfriendly neighbours reluctant to cooperate on matters concerning control of the contraband flow.Additionally, almost all the surrounding countries contribute to the flow of contraband into India because of their liberal import policies. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are obvious examples. But it is really the country's vast and vulnerable 6,000 km coastline that represents the soft underbelly for smuggling syndicates. Almost 80 per cent of the total contraband being channelled into India each year arrives by way of India's western coast.The reasons are obvious. The western coast is almost impossible to police because of the thousands of rocky inlets and creeks that extend inland from the coast. It is also conveniently located in relation to the major supply point for the contraband (particularly gold) - Dubai. At any time of the year, it is possible to view gold consignments being openly loaded at Dubai, where buying gold is easier than buying a packet of cigarettes, for shipment to the west coast of India. Well-stocked shop on the Indo-Nepal border (top left), the hot-selling Honda genorater (top right) and (above) the receipt with carrier charges for delivery across the borderAccording to customs sources in Dubai" (Revenue Intelligence has a senior official posted in that bustling city), each consignment carried by the traditional dhow is worth around Rs 30 lakh while more modern, powerful speedboats carry contraband gold worth an estimated Rs 60 lakh.The shipments are either unloaded at a conveniently remote inlet or merely dumped out at sea a few miles off the coast in fishing nets with a distinctive float attached. The cargo is then picked up by local fishermen on the payroll of smuggling syndicates. One recent catch off the Bombay coast netted goods valued at Rs 2 crore.Bombay, the final destination for the bulk of the contraband smuggled into the west coast, is the Macao of India. Seizure figures for the last three years offer ample evidence of this. From Rs 3 crore in 1978, seizure figures jumped to Rs 5.5 crore in 1979 and doubled to Rs 11 crore by 1980.In the current year, figures for the first six months alone were slightly over Rs 5 crore. Of that, gold accounted for Rs 74 lakh, textiles another Rs 60 lakh, watches were Rs 59 lakh while the rest were mainly electronic items. That, incidentally, is another overt indication that gold, which formerly occupied the number one spot on the smugglers' checklist, has now been rather rudely overtaken by the insatiable demand for fancy electronic gadgetry.Gold seizures all over the country in 1980 were valued at Rs 1.51 crore and corresponding figures for the first six months of 1981 stood at Rs 1.01 crore. In comparison, seizures of electronic items like VCRs, sophisticated stereo systems and calculators are, according to one unofficial estimate, as high as Rs 20 crore.Another alarming trend is the pooling of resources and manpower by the bigger syndicates operating in India and the increasingly sophisticated methods being used. According to customs sources, a number of smuggling outfits have now married into major syndicates, thereby increasing the scope of their activities and also reducing the risks involved.From 12 known major groups in 1980, customs authorities now calculate that there are 17 separate syndicates operating out of the Gulf or the Far East, each with its own intricate network of suppliers, couriers, transporters and distributors feeding the major metropolises of India, including one suspected to be controlled by one of the infamous Triads operating out of Hong Kong.But that is probably one of the few instances of foreign syndicates operating in India as far as non-narcotic smuggling is concerned. For the most part, syndicates currently operating on the west coast are controlled by Indians or those of Indian origin. Heading the wanted list is Raghuvanshi, a Dubai-based Indian, closely followed by Sukkur Narain Bakhia, a millionaire who also operates out of Dubai, and two other big-time operators, Lallu Jogi and Rati Lal Naik.There is also evidence that the contraband kingpins of yesteryear have not totally abandoned their former careers. Last month, S.S. Sisodia, minister of state for finance, admitted that surveillance was being carried out on top smugglers like Haji Mastan, the most famous member of the contraband clan, and Sukkur Narain Bakhia.But what is worrying anti-smuggling agencies currently is the new methods being employed by the syndicates for their clandestine trade. One such is the increasing use of the air lanes for carrying contraband into India, specially via Bombay airport."Bombay is in the unique position of being exposed to both sea and air, and of late indications are that smuggling by air is on the increase," says N.B. Sonavane, customs collector for Bombay. The great attraction, of course, is that free ports like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai are just a short hop away.Calcutta vendor selling smuggled goodsThe latest seizures also indicate another alarming trend: the increasing use of genuine passengers as couriers who are virtually impossible to detect. "The business community and workers make frequent trips in and out of Santa Cruz," says Sonavane, "and more of them are being recruited as couriers." Even if caught, the couriers know little or nothing about the operation.Recently, a stunningly beautiful Indian girl called Sheila undulated through the green channel at Santa Cruz carrying one suitcase. As part of the random checks customs officials carry out on green channel passengers, the girl was stopped for routine questioning.She panicked and broke down leading to a thorough examination of the suitcase. Under a false bottom, officials discovered Rs 39 lakh worth of uncut diamonds. However, she could tell them nothing except the minor information that she was approached in her Hong Kong hotel by a well-dressed Chinese who handed her the suitcase and promised her Rs 1 lakh for carrying it to Bombay."Deflected" Goods: But if Bombay and the country's west coast offer the most well-used conduit for contraband, India's land borders are no less vulnerable, particularly those with Nepal and Bangladesh, both of which have liberal import policies that are directly related to the volume of smuggling into India, or - as it is defined in the official anti-smuggling handbook - "deflection smuggling".As the term implies, deflection smuggling is the art of importing items into one country that are primarily meant for smuggling into a second country. And there is no country that has mastered the art as well as Nepal, which is overly generous about handing out import licences at the drop of a hat or the greasing of a palm for items that cannot possibly be utilised by the local population.Nepal-based smugglers are inadvertently aided by the trade and transit agreement between the two countries which allows goods from Nepal to pass freely through Indian territory, ostensibly for onward shipment. The other obvious advantage is the long and unguarded border between India and Nepal and the absence of passport or visa requirements for Indian or Nepalese citizens travelling between the two countries.Little wonder, then, all along the Indo-Nepal border thriving shanty towns have sprung up catering exclusively to Indian clients. The traffic is wide open and anybody can merely stroll across, make his purchases and stroll back within an hour or two. For those interested in heavier items like VCRs or portable generators, the shops merely charge a 10 per cent "carrier charge" and deliver it across the border (see photostat).Last fortnight, R.K. Thawani, customs collector in charge of the Indo-Nepal border, admitted that it was virtually impossible to curb smuggling across the 1,500-km border between the two countries. Briefing newsmen, before the start of the east zone conference on anti-smuggling measures.Thawani bluntly stated that the inability to check smuggling was mainly due to Nepal's trade policy and accused the Nepalese Government of encouraging smuggling on both sides of the border. He also stated that the foreign exchange earned from export of Indian goods smuggled into Nepal was being used in turn to import items which are ultimately deflected into India.Last year, Nepal exported over two million tonnes of pulses, Rs 3 crore worth of snakeskins, and Rs 6 crore worth of goatskins. "All these commodities were not a product of Nepal but were definitely smuggled from India," said Thawani. Nepal's major involvement, however, lies in what is referred to as "reverse smuggling".For instance, last year Nepal imported over one million wrist-watches against its maximum possible local requirement of around 2 lakh, while textile and electronic goods worth Rs 20 crore were imported over the same period against the maximum possible local consumption of around Rs 3 crore.In fact, it is painfully obvious that smuggling on the Indo-Nepal border could not be of the scope and magnitude it currently is without the knowledge and active participation of highly-placed individuals in Nepal's bureaucratic and business communities. The carefree manner in which import licences are distributed to people of influence in Nepal for items that could not possibly be consumed domestically, is adequate indication of that.Smuggled watches recovered from a scooter's cavity: Profits outweigh the risksThe growing demand - and plentiful supply - of just one newly-popular item from Nepal is a significant pointer. The item in question is the sleek, high-powered portable generator manufactured by the Honda company of Japan.With India's ballooning power crisis, demand for the generators is insatiable and thousands of these generators have been trucked or merely been carried across the Indo-Nepal border. At the main smuggling pipeline of Biratnagar in north Bengal and Birganj and Raxaul in Bihar, the generators are freely available for around Rs 6,000.Contraband traffic going the other way, from India into Nepal, is largely limited to salt, kerosene and pulses, which are more expensive in Nepal, snakes-kins and animal skins, particularly goatskins, which are apparently in great demand in China and the Soviet Union.Revenue Intelligence sources state that Nepal exports an average of 12 million goatskins annually to Russia and China, all of which are smuggled in from India. However, the most popular smuggled item from India in the recent past has been coal, which is in short supply in Nepal and fetches high profits.Raxaul's District Magistrate R.K. Singh told India Today that the local administration had recently discovered that 30 coal dealers, who were granted delivery orders for local consumption, had diverted the entire amount into Nepal. Interestingly, HMT watches are in great demand in Nepal.Compared to the extent of smuggling on the Indo-Nepal border, the actual seizures made are fractional. According to Assistant Collector (Customs) Preventive Wing,, Suman Nayar, the contraband items seized on the Indo-Nepal border were worth Rs 1.45 crore in 1979, slightly over Rs 1.65 crore in 1980 and had already touched Rs 1.65 crore till last month this year.Said Nayar: "All the smugglers operating here are only small fry employed by the big-time syndicates in Calcutta and Bombay." Even so, the comparatively negligible amount of seizures indicate that personnel manning the check-posts in many places are moonlighting on the payroll of smuggling syndicates.It is ridiculously easy to cross the border into Nepal and to hand over the shopping list to a local store owner, who will have it delivered across in India within hours of the transaction and with virtually no risk.Last year, a total of 63 customs officials were arrested on charges of conniving with smugglers, while four other customs officers were detained under COFEPOSA. Last fortnight, a gun battle between one such party and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel left one BSF jawan dead and another seriously wounded.Currently, customs authorities have a list of 110 big-time smugglers operating on the Indo-Nepal border. According to sources, the name on top of the list is that of Fazal Khalifa, who was arrested during the Emergency under MISA. Khalifa is now free and operates with impunity owing to his allegedly close links with powerful political leaders in New Delhi. The blade, however, cuts both ways.Customs officials and local traders are unanimous in voicing suspicions that some people from within the palace in Kathmandu may be involved in smuggling activities. Said Nandlal Prasad, editor of a local paper in Raxaul: "It is people from the royal palace who provide protection to smugglers and also operate under fake names."Excess Imports: Similarly, smuggling on the Indo-Bangladesh border, though comparatively less in volume than Nepal, is again governed by that country's import policies which are similar to Nepal's. According to anti-smuggling agencies, Bangladesh's imports are far in excess of local requirements and a bulk of the imports are deflected into India across the border or in river craft plying along the river Icchamati. Ironically, one of the major contraband items from Bangladesh is the voluntary aid that the Government gets officially from other donor countries. A large portion of milk powder, vitamins, drugs and clothing finds its way to shops in Calcutta's sprawling New Market.Another major item is synthetic textiles made in Singapore or Hong Kong and imported in vast quantities into Bangladesh and available in Calcutta for around Rs 75 per trouser length. In the past few years, innumerable tailoring shops have mushroomed in Bongaon, the border town between West Bengal and Jessore district which is a major smuggling centre.The craze for 'phoren' reflected in a group of Gulf returnees at Bombay airportCustoms sources accuse the BSF, which polices the border, of widespread complicity in smuggling operations. Their suspicions are largely confirmed by the fact that locally, the BSF is popularly and derisively referred to as the 'Border Smuggling Force'.Sources say that BSF personnel have a regular business partnership with the smugglers and the standard pay-off rate currently is Rs 1,000 per consignment for each border post. Significantly, according to sources, most of the smuggling is carried out in broad daylight.The BSF has also been accused of being involved in smuggling activities on the Indo-Pakistan border, but to a lesser extent since much of the border is under military control. Even so, the huge clandestine contraband market in Amritsar, the key conduit for Delhi-based smugglers, is entirely fed by Pakistan.The main entry points are Dauki, Bhorapal, Naushera Dhalla and Chakkata Baksh on the Indo-Pakistan border from where a steady stream of contraband is funnelled into India, as well as in the opposite direction. The main items, according to revenue intelligence officials, are textiles, ready-made garments, transistors, narcotics, gold, ball bearings and watches.There have even been cases where vehicles have been driven across and sold to customers with enough influence and money to falsify registration and purchase papers. The entire traffic is controlled by smuggling syndicates based in Amritsar, many of whom are prominent community leaders.Partners: In fact, smuggling on the Indo-Pakistan border is highly organised and efficient with smugglers on both sides operating in tandem. There exists, according to sources, a regular barter system between the smugglers, in which payment is made in goods. The Indian syndicates barter silver which is cheaper in India in exchange for gold or opium.The list of items smuggled into Pakistan is headed by Indian-made liquor, which is in great demand in totally dry Pakistan and fetches anything between Rs 250 and Rs 400 in Pakistan's clandestine but flourishing liquor market.A close second is silver which, though more difficult to transport because of its weight, fetches a profit margin of around Rs 25,000 per kilo on the international market. Other items being channelled into Pakistan include the ever-popular betel leaves, precious stones (mainly sapphires and rubies), tea and cardamom. One other unusual item that is in great demand in Pakistan is livestock, mainly cows, which also fetch high prices.Of the smuggling syndicates operating out of Amritsar the biggest by far is masterminded by a colourful character called Kashmira Singh who reportedly handles an estimated 50 per cent of total smuggling across the Pakistan border. Other major syndicates are controlled by Pyara Singh, Mohinder Singh (a.k.a Amli), Jasbir Singh alias Jassi and Harpal Bawa while on the Pakistan side, the major smugglers are Seth Abid and Asghar, both Lahore-based operators with links in Dubai.Another rapidly-growing source for contraband coming into India is Sri Lanka, which again has a liberal import policy as well as a Free Trade Zone and a surplus of imported consumer items, mainly from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Over the past few years, smuggling from Sri Lanka and the Maldives' capital Male, a free port, has grown alarmingly, particularly along the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram.Though some of the contraband is ferried in fishing vessels, lately, the smugglers have acquired high-powered speedboats. According to Wadhawan, there has also been a spurt of smuggling activity from the Maldives either directly, or via Sri Lanka.Statistically, seizure figures by the Madurai customs division, under whose jurisdiction the coastal districts fall, have been registering a sharp increase. From Rs 45 lakh in 1978, it climbed to Rs 64.5 lakh in 1979 and Rs 1.5 crore in 1980. This year, in just one month (July) figures amounted to Rs 29 lakh from 96 seizures.Apart from the sea traffic, considerable contraband is coming in by air. Since the air fare between Trivandrum and Colombo is relatively cheap, one common method adopted by syndicates is to fly groups of 'tourists' or 'pilgrims' into Colombo. Each passenger brings back a tape-recorder with an official receipt certifying it was bought for Rs 500, which is within permissible non-dutiable limits.The recorders are then sold for twice the price in the flourishing contraband markets in Madras. In places like Kasichetty Street in Georgetown, west of Madras harbour or in "Burma bazaar", a ragtag of pavement shops just outside the harbour, a plethora of smuggled items are freely available.A VCR can be purchased for around Rs 20,000, prerecorded video tapes for Rs 600, blue films for around Rs 1,000 and electronic watches for around Rs 450. The going rate for stereo two-in-ones is between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,500 while synthetic saris, much favoured by southern women, can be freely bought for around Rs 150.Rates: The same scenario is evident in other metropolitan cities. In Calcutta, for instance, it is possible to pick up anything from VCRs to cameras and tape-recorders from pavement hawkers on Chowringhee. Current camera prices range from Rs 9,000 for a Nikon-F3 to Rs 3,500 for an Asahi Pentax-NX.It is also commonly known in Calcutta that the best place to pick up a bottle of scotch whisky is through customs contacts, present rates being Rs 180 for a bottle of Teachers or Vat 69, while the premium brands like Black Label or Chivas Regal fetch around Rs 250. One overt indicator of the increase in smuggling is the recent appearance of huge full-page advertisements in almost all the major publications for items ranging from Casio calculators.Sony and Sanyo cassette recorders, Seiko watches to JVC, VCRs and even Marlboro and Winston cigarettes - all items that are restricted. Though customs authorities claim that the ads are meant for Indians travelling abroad, it is obvious that the real target is customers in India who now have a vast selection of competitive contraband to choose from. To add fuel to a raging fire, the past few months have also witnessed a sudden spurt in smuggling activity by diplomats, who, because of their immunity, are usually passed through customs without checks.Last year, customs authorities seized contraband goods worth Rs 1.5 lakh from Delhi-based diplomats. This year, till July, the amount of smuggled goods seized from diplomats stood at Rs 20 lakh, mainly in the form of watches, calculators and other electronic items.The diplomats involved included an Egyptian and a Sudanese who were caught at Santa Curz airport in Bombay, and three diplomats (a Nepali, a Kenyan and a Russian) who were apprehended at Palam Airport in New Delhi. Said a Revenue Intelligence agent: "We were only able to catch them because they were making frequent weekend trips to Hong Kong. If they had been a little more circumspect, they would have got away with the racket."In all probability, the diplomats are used as couriers by the brains -behind the illicit trade. Though customs and revenue intelligence officials proudly point to the growing number of arrests they make under COFEPOSA, 1,186 till July 1981 compared to 1,878 last year, a vast majority of those apprehended are merely couriers and operatives low down on the smuggling totem pole.The big fish almost never allow themselves to get involved and ensure that the lower-level employees know as little about the operations as possible.Ruthless: The top smugglers also ensure that their operations are ruthlessly run to create a climate of extreme fear. Informers are eliminated after being tortured in a manner which gets the message around in the underworld.Earlier this year, an informer called Shabir was gunned down in broad daylight while another was found floating in a creek with his bones picked clean. To ensure that others got the grisly message, a bar of silver was wired to his skelton.The Mafia-like methods are understandable. Till now, the most potent weapon in the anti-smuggling armoury has been its stable of informers, a high-risk breed of individuals who operate in the twilight zone inhabited by the country's underworld. For some, the prime motivation is the threat of conviction for crimes committed.But for most, the lure is the 10 per cent commission customs authorities pay out on tips that lead to successful seizures. One key informer in Bombay earned Rs 5 lakh worth of commission on just two tip-offs that led to massive hauls.Unfortunately, he never got to enjoy the bounty. He was methodically tracked down by syndicate enforcers and, after a terror-filled week on the run, he was killed and his body dumped in the sea Faced with that deterrent factor, it is hardly surprising that the tribe of informers is fast becoming virtually extinct.Though preventive agencies bemoan the lack of manpower and equipment at their disposal to combat the growing menace, it is evident that the real handicap lies in the powerful financial and political clout that many of the top smugglers currently wield.There are innumerable instances where cases filed against alleged smugglers during the Emergency or the Janata regime have been quietly dropped. Others whose passports were impounded have mysteriously been given new passports.One alleged smuggler of antiques in Bombay, who was convicted during the Emergency and who owns a hotel in Bombay has been awarded catering contracts for a number of foreign airlines touching the city's spanking new international airport at Sahar, thus getting virtually unbridled access to international airliners.Such examples underline the strong nexus that has developed between smugglers and politicians, without which smuggling would not be such a charmed occupation.In fact, the spinoffs are mind boggling. Assuming that smuggling cycles money, around Rs 1,000 crore, it accounts for about 20 per cent of the black money generated in the economy. Though this is only about 1 per cent of the country's national income, it is a staggering one-sixth of the country's exports - more than the exports of tea and cotton textiles put together.Profits from smuggling fuel the wild speculation that marks the real estate market in metropolitan cities, find their way into commodity trade, break into the tinsel world of film production, and find their way into political funding."Any activity which accounts for such a large proportion of our exports cannot be ignored," says an economist; "particularly as according to figures of seizures, it seems to be doubling every three years or so while exports remain practically stagnant."Vicious Circle: Naturally, that is certain to lead to a corresponding increase in the volume and scope of smuggling and its attendant ills the major one being the constant recycling of black money. In essence, India's smuggling problem represents a vicious circle.The inherent craze for "phoren" among Indians of all social levels, particularly the noveau riche, will undoubtedly ensure that the demand curve continues to climb even though many similar products manufactured indigenously may be of better quality.Consequently, the big money will continue to attract the big sharks, those capable of wielding considerable political and economic clout. This in turn, will necessarily entail an upward climb in corruption at every level, or, at the very least, political interference in the working of the anti-smuggling agencies.Says a custom's source in Bombay: "Almost every time we have broken through in a particular investigation, involving the really big-time smugglers, we inevitably receive a polite message from the powers-to-be asking us to drop the case. Since refusal would be suicidal, we have to toe the line."So far, the Government has chosen to hide its head in the sand and pretend that smuggling per se is not yet a major problem. By the time reality dawns, it will almost certainly be too late and smuggling, like corruption, will be far too deeply ingrained for any belated measures to be at all effective.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 25, 2013 08:24 IST--- ENDS ---

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India proving to be one of the top smuggling paradises on the world map

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