Amritsar, Mar 28 (IANS): A former Delhi High Court judge Manmohan Sarin complimented the enforcement officers of Punjab for seizure of fake and smuggled consumer goods, alcohol, food products, gold and cigarettes.

Quoting the World Economic Forum data, he said illicit trade has resulted in an annual drain of $2.2 trillion which is approximately 3 per cent of the world GDP in 2020.

While complimenting the enforcement officers, he said their hands-on approach has led to large number of seizures in the state of fake and smuggled goods.

He was speaking at an interactive session by FICCI CASCADE on the 'Strategies' to combat smuggling and counterfeiting, here.

The objective was to facilitate a wider exchange of ideas and ensure a multifaceted perspective to understand the gravity of the menace caused by illicit trade.

Rahul Nangare, Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Amritsar, said 32 kg of gold from Afghanistan, 584 kg of heroin from Pakistan and 483 kg of cannabis were seized recently along Indo-Pakistan border in the state.

Talking about the menace of smuggling, he underscored the importance of inter-agency coordination, international collaborations, capacity building of officers and need for modern examination machine for creating a balance between enforcement and trade facilitation.

Sanjay Gaur, Deputy Inspector General, Border Security Force, highlighted the challenges such as difficult terrains, extreme climate and porous borders faced by BSF officers in their day-to-day operations in managing the security.

"Items such as heroin, arms and ammunition, gold, silver, tobacco are most smuggled items across borders," he added.

FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) over the years has been actively focusing on curbing the problem of growing illicit trade in smuggled, pass-offs and counterfeit goods.