SSC CGL (Custom) Inspector/ Preventive Officer Salary & Job Profile Complete Details

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Skills Required

• Strong observation skills: The Preventive Officer's job involves stopping smuggling and illegal activities. These skills help the officer identify small details like suspicious behavior, unusual luggage, or fake documents.
• Physical fitness: The Preventive Officer's work is mostly field-oriented. At airports, ports, and border areas, the officer may have to stand for long hours or inspect heavy luggage, requiring physical activity.
• Decision-making abilities: Preventive Officers often face critical situations. In cases of smuggling or illegal activities, the officer must quickly and correctly decide to seize suspicious items or detain passengers. Without decision-making abilities or making the wrong decisions, smugglers could escape.
• Communication skills: Preventive Officers must deal with passengers, colleagues, and higher authorities. During inspections, they must clearly explain to passengers why the check is happening to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Effective communication is also needed to present reports and findings to senior officers.
• Teamwork: A Preventive Officer's work is often done with a team. Tasks like patrolling, search and seizure operations, and passenger checks require good coordination. To successfully complete operations, the officer must work closely with the team.
• Strong analytical skills: Strong analytical skills help the Preventive Officer logically analyze fake and genuine documents, cargo details, and passenger behavior.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Selection Process

• Tier 1: Tier 1 is the first stage of the SSC CGL exam. After clearing this stage, the candidate gets the opportunity to appear for the next stage.
• Tier 2 (Paper 1): Tier 2 is the second stage of the SSC CGL exam. In this stage, the candidate has to appear for Paper 1 only.
• Result: After clearing both stages, the candidate's result is declared along with the All India Rank (AIR).
• Document Verification: After the result, during the exam form filling process, the documents mentioned by the candidate are verified.
• Medical: After document verification, the candidate has to submit a basic medical test certificate from the referred hospital.
• Training: After medical, selected candidates are sent to the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes, and Narcotics (NACIN) for training, where they undergo weapon training and other activities.
• Physical Test: During the training, the candidate's stamina and physical strength are assessed through walking and cycling at a police or army training center.
• Post Preference: The successfully selected candidates have to fill out a post-preference and zone allocation form for their preferred posting locations.
• Joining Letter: After clearing all stages, the candidates are given the official joining letter.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Job Profile

The majority of the work of a Preventive Officer is in coastal areas. Apart from this, they are also posted at airports. The Information about the work of a Preventive Officer is given below.

• Office Work: The Preventive Officer verifies documents, records them, does noting and drafting, and prepares reports on illegal activities at the regional office.
• Smuggling Control: Most smuggling and tax evasion items come through airports, seaports, and international borders. These places serve as main hubs for illegal trade and smuggling, where goods like gold, drugs, animals, foreign currency, wildlife, fake goods, and untaxed items are smuggled. Smugglers use these areas for the import/export of illegal goods.
• Customs Duty Collection: Collecting customs duty is an important responsibility of the Preventive Officer. When goods are imported or exported through foreign passengers or ship cargo, customs duty is levied, helping the government generate revenue. Preventive Officers verify the import/export documents and check whether the duty has been paid correctly.
• Vigilance and Patrolling: Vigilance and patrolling are important daily duties of a Preventive Officer. Vigilance means keeping an eye on suspicious activities and stopping illegal smuggling or tax evasion. Officers patrol areas where the risk of smuggling and illegal activities is high, such as airports, seaports, and international borders.
• Passenger Checking: At airports and seaports, Preventive Officers ensure passengers are not carrying illegal goods or smuggled items. They check passenger baggage, conduct body searches, and verify flight tickets, passports, and customs declaration forms.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Work Area

• Airports: Posting at airports is done because they are a popular route for smuggling drugs, gold, and tax-evasion items through international passengers. Passengers hide these illegal goods in their luggage, as these items are small in quantity, making them easy to carry.
• Sea Ports: Sea ports are a famous route for importing/exporting drugs, gold, and illegal goods in large quantities. Smugglers use ships and cargo vessels to send these goods in large amounts from one country to another.
• Border Areas: Posting in border areas is due to the high rate of cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms, gold, and contraband items, which are easily transferred from one country to another.
• Customs Offices: Posting at customs offices is crucial because these are the central points for collecting customs duties during import and export and detecting illegal goods. Goods and cargo are verified to ensure they are properly declared and duties are paid, and legal action is taken from here.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Zone

• Mumbai
• Chenai
• Goa
• Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)
• Kolkata
• Visakhapatnam (Vizag)

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Promotion

• Preventive Officer (Inspector custom)
• Superintendent
• Assistant Commissioner
• Deputy Commissioner (Max promotion)
• joint Commissioner
• Additional Commissioner
• Commissioner

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Benefits & Allowances

• Government resedence quarter or HRA
• CGHS
• NPS
• Leave entitlements (Casual leave, public holidays, etc.)

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Power

Preventive Officers have specific powers under the Customs Act, 1962 and Foreign Trade Regulation Laws, which are granted to them to prevent smuggling and illegal activities. Under this act, Preventive Officers have the authority to seize goods, conduct investigations, and arrest offenders.

• Power to Arrest: Preventive Officers have the right to arrest individuals involved in illegal trade, smuggling, or violations of Customs laws.
• Confiscation of Goods: If a Preventive Officer finds suspicious items in passengers' luggage or baggage, or if there is suspicion of forged documents, tax evasion, or smuggling related to a shipment, they have the authority to seize the goods, items, or shipment.
• Collaboration with Agencies: There are cases that are related to specific agencies. To handle these cases effectively, Preventive Officers collaborate with various government agencies.
• Interrogation: Preventive Officers have the authority to interrogate individuals involved in smuggling and illegal activities, take witness statements, prepare case files, and hand over the individual to other agencies.
• Investigation: If a Preventive Officer receives a tip-off from a reliable source or discovers suspicious goods, passengers, or activities according to a pre-investigation plan, they have the right to conduct a detailed investigation of the individuals involved in the activity.
• Documentation Checking: In documentation checking, Preventive Officers inspect passengers' documents, crew members' passports, and other relevant documents at airports. At coastal areas, they check all customs documents such as bills of entry, cargo declarations, import/export permits, and shipping documents during the import/export of ships and cargo.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Advantages

• Distinct Role: Preventive Officers have a unique role compared to other officers, as their work is specifically focused on international trade, security, and enforcing customs laws. They play a crucial role in preventing illegal activities related to cross-border trade.
• Prestige: The uniform of Preventive Officers is different from other internal officers, giving them a distinct identity. This uniform, often worn in coastal areas, is highly noticeable, making them easily identifiable from a distance. This contributes to a sense of pride and respect among the public.
• Collaboration with Other Agencies: Preventive Officers work closely with various government agencies such as DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), NIA (National Investigation Agency), Coast Guard, NCB, BSF, and State Police. This collaboration helps in tackling smuggling and other illegal activities more effectively.
• Fast Promotions: Preventive Officers typically experience faster promotions compared to other SSC CGL posts, thanks to the nature of their work and the demand for their expertise in customs enforcement.
• Dynamic Work Nature: The work of Preventive Officers is dynamic, as they are involved in a variety of tasks such as investigating criminal activities, checking passengers and goods, and apprehending criminals. Each day brings different challenges, keeping the role engaging and interesting.

SSC CGL Preventive Officer Disadvantages

• Limited Posting Locations: The postings of Preventive Officers are generally restricted to 6-7 specific zones, primarily at airports, seaports, and border areas. This limited scope can sometimes feel restrictive.
• Irregular Shifts: Preventive Officers often work during night shifts, as smugglers frequently operate at night, and many international flights arrive during these hours. The irregular working hours can make the job demanding.
• Stressful Work: The responsibility of patrolling for long hours, checking numerous passengers, and preventing illegal activities can be highly stressful. The pressure of ensuring national security and enforcing customs laws adds to the job's intensity.
• Frequent Transfers: Due to the nature of their work, Preventive Officers are frequently transferred to different locations, which can be challenging for maintaining a stable family life and settling into new environments.