DRI seized e-waste worth ₹23 crore smuggled in India

The arrested accused is said to be actively involved in planning, procuring, and financing the smuggling. He was arrested and remanded to judicial custody

MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized a consignment of old and used laptops, CPUs, motherboards, and other electronic parts, valued at approximately ₹23 crore, at the Nhava Sheva port. A Surat-based businessman (name, if possible) and director of an importing firm is the mastermind behind the illegal smuggling, said officials.

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The investigation revealed that these refurbished/used laptops, CPUs, etc., were fraudulently imported into India by concealing them as ‘aluminium treat scrap’ in four containers at the Nhava Sheva port. Each of these containers was packed with the electronic components, but concealed behind a few rows of the declared goods, i.e. aluminium scrap.

A total of 17,760 old and used laptops, 11,340 mini/barebone CPUs, 7,140 processor chips and other electronic components have been seized under the provisions of Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.

The import of old and used/refurbished laptops, CPUs, and other such electronic items is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, and the Electronics and IT Goods (Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, which mandates compliance with BIS safety and labelling requirements, endangering public health and ecological safety. As per the Government policy, such prohibited Goods are either to be re-exported or deformed beyond use and disposed of as scrap.