At the invitation of India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, attended celebrations marking the 63rd Founding Day of its Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), held virtually on 4 December 2020.
In his inaugural address, Secretary General Mikuriya recalled the strategic cooperation developed between the WCO and the DRI over the years, encompassing the launch of several WCO initiatives and the DRI’s contribution to many WCO-coordinated international operations targeting a wide range of illicit trafficking. He expressed his thanks to India for its enduring support of the WCO's efforts in sharing information and intelligence as well as in using technology. Dr. Mikuriya hoped the DRI would continue to play a leadership role in showcasing intelligence in Customs.
In her speech, the Honourable Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, shared her appreciation for the hard work by the DRI’s staff to combat revenue fraud and illicit trade through information sharing and intelligence. She encouraged the DRI to continue cooperating with the WCO in the interests of the entire world.