Punjab Special DGP: Stronger enforcement key to combating smuggling
Synopsis
At a FICCI-CASCADE session in Phillaur, Punjab's top police officer and senior state officials issued a unified call: illicit trade is no longer just an economic crime — it funds organised criminal networks and threatens consumer safety. The message was clear: enforcement alone won't cut it; intelligence-led policing and industry-government collaboration are now non-negotiable.
Key Takeaways
Punjab Special DGP Amardeep Singh Rai addressed a session on combating counterfeiting and smuggling at the Police Academy, Phillaur on 12 June .
The session was organised by FICCI-CASCADE and brought together senior state officials from jails, home, and police departments.
Officials stressed that illicit trade networks are increasingly linked to organised crime and require intelligence-led policing and inter-agency cooperation .
Secretary (Jails) Mohammed Tayyab and Additional Secretary (Home) Ankurjeet Singh called for continuous capacity building among frontline enforcement officers.
FICCI-CASCADE reaffirmed its commitment to working with government and industry to strengthen enforcement capabilities nationwide.
Punjab Special Director General of Police Amardeep Singh Rai on Friday, 12 June said illicit trade has emerged as a complex challenge with far-reaching economic and social consequences, calling for robust enforcement and coordinated stakeholder action to address the growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling.
Key Developments at the Phillaur Session
Speaking at a session on Tackling Counterfeiting and Smuggling: Strategies for Effective Enforcement, organised by FICCI-CASCADE at the Police Academy in Phillaur, Rai said counterfeiting and smuggling not only undermined legitimate businesses and government revenues but also threatened consumer safety and fuelled illegal networks. He stressed that tackling these challenges required continuous capacity building and coordinated action among government agencies, law enforcement authorities, and industry stakeholders.
What Officials Said
Secretary (Jails) Mohammed Tayyab highlighted the importance of institutional preparedness in addressing economic offences. He noted that illicit trade networks were becoming increasingly sophisticated, and enforcement agencies must remain equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools required to detect, investigate, and prevent such crimes. Capacity-building initiatives, he said, played a vital role in strengthening this preparedness.
Additional Secretary (Home) Ankurjeet Singh said counterfeiting and smuggling had evolved beyond conventional economic crimes and were increasingly linked to organised criminal activities. He argued that effective enforcement today required a combination of intelligence-led policing, inter-agency cooperation, and awareness of emerging trends in illicit trade. Strengthening the capabilities of frontline officers, he added, was critical to safeguarding the economy and protecting citizens from the harmful effects of counterfeit and smuggled goods.
Industry Perspective
Deep Chand, Advisor at FICCI-CASCADE and former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, said illicit trade continued to inflict significant losses on legitimate businesses while creating serious challenges for law enforcement agencies. He remarked that counterfeiting and smuggling distorted fair market competition, deprived governments of revenue, and exposed consumers to unsafe products. Through sustained engagement with enforcement agencies and policymakers, he said, FICCI-CASCADE remained committed to strengthening awareness and building institutional capacity to address these challenges effectively.
FICCI-CASCADE's Role and What Comes Next
FICCI-CASCADE has been working with government bodies, enforcement agencies, industry stakeholders, and civil society to raise awareness about the adverse impact of illicit trade and strengthen enforcement capabilities across the country. This session at Phillaur is part of a broader national effort to align policing strategies with the evolving sophistication of illicit trade networks. Observers expect follow-up capacity-building workshops and inter-agency coordination frameworks to emerge from such dialogues in the coming months.
Point of View
Revenue leakage, and public health — yet enforcement capacity at the district and state level remains patchy. The presence of senior officials from jails, home, and police in one room signals a welcome shift toward whole-of-government thinking, but rhetoric around inter-agency cooperation has a long history of not translating into operational change. The real test will be whether sessions like this produce binding coordination protocols — or remain well-intentioned conferences.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the FICCI-CASCADE session in Phillaur about?
The session, held at the Police Academy in Phillaur on 12 June, focused on strategies for tackling counterfeiting and smuggling through effective enforcement. It brought together Punjab police officials, state government representatives, and industry advisors to discuss capacity building and inter-agency coordination.
Who is Amardeep Singh Rai and what did he say?
Amardeep Singh Rai is the Special Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab. He said illicit trade has become a complex challenge with far-reaching economic and social consequences, calling for robust enforcement, continuous capacity building, and coordinated action among government agencies and industry stakeholders.
Why is counterfeiting and smuggling considered a serious concern in India?
According to officials at the session, counterfeiting and smuggling undermine legitimate businesses, deprive governments of revenue, threaten consumer safety, and increasingly fuel organised criminal networks. FICCI-CASCADE advisor Deep Chand noted that illicit trade also distorts fair market competition.
What is FICCI-CASCADE and what role does it play?
FICCI-CASCADE is a specialised body under the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) that works with government bodies, enforcement agencies, and civil society to raise awareness about illicit trade and strengthen enforcement capabilities across India.
What steps are being proposed to tackle smuggling and counterfeiting?
Officials called for intelligence-led policing, inter-agency cooperation, and sustained capacity-building initiatives for frontline officers. Coordinated action between government agencies, law enforcement, and industry stakeholders was identified as essential to effectively detecting, investigating, and preventing illicit trade.
