India Press Releases

Launch of Training Program for Law Enforcement Officials On Asset Forfeiture of Drug Traffickers

12 April 2005

New Delhi - The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office of the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Finance's Office of the Competent Authority of India, held a seminar today to launch a project for the training of field-level officers for asset seizure/forfeiture of drug traffickers. This project is one of several projects under an agreement on counter-narcotics between the governments of the two countries on provision of drug enforcement commodities and training assistance for Indian law enforcement officers.

The Competent Authority administers the asset seizure/forfeiture provisions of the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act of 1976 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NPPS) Act of 1985. There are very strict provisions under the NDPS Act for forfeiting the assets of drug traffickers, and this project is aimed at sensitizing law enforcement officials to the importance of asset forfeiture/seizure and to provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills for the task. The Competent Authority plans to conduct these training programs around the country for officers from the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Central Bureau of Narcotics, the Central Bureau of Investigation, Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and the state police, among others.

The seminar, attended by a wide variety of India's highest-ranking police, customs and narcotics control officials, was inaugurated by Mr. K.M. Chandrasekhar, Secretary (Revenue), Ministry of Finance, who also released a Reference Manual prepared by the Competent Authority to help the implementing and enforcing agencies. Speaking to the participants at the seminar, Mr. Robert Blake, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy emphasized the importance of asset seizure/forfeiture, describing them as two of the most crucial elements in following the money that is used to finance crime and terrorism. Other participants at the seminar talked about the current state of drug enforcement in India and the international scenario, elaborated on the forfeiture related provision of the NDPS Act, and discussed methods of improving implementation of the legal provisions relating to asset forfeiture.