Ensure better coordination with state agencies to nab masterminds: Sitharaman to DRI officers

FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked revenue intelligence officers to develop better coordination with state and central agencies and expeditiously work on “actionable intelligence" to nab masterminds behind smuggling syndicates.

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Stressing that narcotics has become the "biggest threat" and schools and colleges are the “first victims” of drug abuse, Sitharaman said it is to be stopped by the DRI and then coordinated with the state police. "We need to have greater coordination and greater under standing of the size as well as scope of the threat," she added.

Sitharaman also asked the DRI officers to investigate "holistically" keeping the big picture in focus and not merely chase "isolated infractions".

"Leverage all available infor mation and data on an entity, on an individual, and their behav ioural patterns to uncover deep er systemic risks and threats by connecting latent dots. The goal must be to dismantle entire net work and the syndicate, not just to intercept fragments," Sitharaman told enforcement officers after inaugurating the new headquar ters building of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).