Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CIEB) was set up to coordinate and strengthen the intelligence gathering activities related to the enforcement of economic laws. It complements with other economic/financial intelligence entities like the Enforcement Directorate and the Financial Intelligence Unit. The Bureau was established in July,1985 and is responsible to the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. The CEIB along with Income Tax Department makes economic intelligence, monitoring and fighting economic offences such as smuggling, money laundering tax evasion and fraud.
Though a separate wing, the CEIB is a t part of the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC). The EIC, under the Finance Ministry is responsible for coordination among government agencies dealing with intelligence and control of economic offences such as smuggling, money laundering tax evasion and fraud. It acts as the apex body to ensure full co-ordination among the various Agencies including Central Bureau of Investigation, Reserve Bank of India, Intelligence Bureau etc.
The CEIB functions as:
a) the Secretariat for the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC).
b) coordinator and repository of economic intelligence (ECOINT) and
c) Administers the COFEPOSA Act 1974 at Central Government Level.
d) Maintains databases on economic offenders and offences
e) Acts as a think tank and studies and analyses macro level economic activities
f) Supervises and monitors the functioning of Regional Economic Intelligence Councils (REICs). The REICs are coordinating bodies at the field level and comprise of representatives from various Central and State enforcement and investigative agencies dealing with economic offences.
g) The CIEB shares strategic intelligence in the areas of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Income Tax, Hawala, Drugs and FICN and identifies other cases with inter agency ramifications, for joint and / or coordinated action.
Besides, these, the Bureau collects intelligence and information about black economy. Also, it has to keep a watch on different economic offences and the emergence of new types of such offences. The Bureau is responsible for designing counter -measures required for effectively dealing with existing and new types of economic offences. It also acts as the nodal agency for cooperation and coordination at the international level with other customs, drugs, law enforcement and other agencies.
The Bureau is headed by the Special Secretary cum Director General who is assisted by three Joint Secretary level officers one of whom is designated as JS(COFEPOSA) and the other two are designated Dy. Director General (Administration & Coordination) and Dy. Director General (ECOINT).
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