NEW DELHI, July 28 -- Mohammad Ali, Deputy Director, Training, Delhi Police on Monday emphasised on the growing complexity of illicit trade and the need for proactive enforcement. "Illicit trade is deeply connected to larger organised criminal networks and fraudulent activities posing serious risks to national security and economic stability. Our police officers must be equipped with the latest tools, information, and collaborative frameworks to protect citizens, ensure legal trade, and secure national interests," he added.

Addressing the FICCI CASCADE's Capacity Building Programme on "Illicit Trade, Fraud & Organised Crime: Building Enforcement Capacity for a Safer Marketplace", Ali highlighted the importance of enhancing skills, intelligence, and inter-agency cooperation to effectively curb such crimes.

Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, stated, "Illicit trade practices, counterfeiting, smuggling, and related crimes directly undermine the rule of law and inflict enormous losses on legitimate businesses. These are not petty crimes, they fund larger organised syndicates and disrupt societal order. This programme is a step toward creating an alert and well-prepared police force."

Ashish Paul, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, ITC Ltd., said that "Illicit trade is an economic crime with long-term implications for India's growth story. If we can reduce it by even 50 per cent, we will unlock immense potential boosting revenue, employment, and genuine business activity. Awareness and enforcement together can make this possible."

As per the report by FICCI CASCADE titled "Challenging Landscape of Illicit Trade: How Changing Factors of Consumption Affect Illicit Markets in five Key Industries in India", the size of the illicit market in five key sectors including FMCG packaged goods, personal and household care, alcohol, tobacco, and textiles & apparel has been estimated at about Rs 7.97 lakh crore. The report highlights that the illicit market size for textiles and apparel alone stands at Rs 4,03,915 crore, accounting for over 50 per cent of the total illicit trade.

Additionally, the illicit markets for FMCG packaged foods and personal & household care goods are estimated at Rs 2,23,875 crore and Rs 73,813 crore, respectively.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.