Customs & Central Excise Collectorate, Trichy was formed at Trichy in 1983 by carving out the jurisdiction of the erstwhile Collectorates of Customs & Central Excise, Madurai and Madras. During 1997, a separate Commissionerate of Customs was formed at Trichy having jurisdiction over the whole state of Tamil Nadu excluding Chennai city. Further, the Trichy Customs Commissionerate was bifurcated into two Commissionerates namely (1) Trichy Customs Preventive Commissionerate and (2) Tuticorin Customs Commissionerate during November 2002. Subsequently, during March 2005, in order to enhance functional efficiency in preventive operations and exercise effective administrative control, re-organisation and revamping of Trichy Customs Commissionerate was carried out by way of abolishing certain formations and tagging on certain other formations to the nearest formation.

Trichy Customs Preventive Commissionerate is a hinterland Customs Commissionerate having mainly preventive and anti-smuggling functions in the entire state of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, except the areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Customs, Seaport, Chennai and Customs Airport, Chennai and Tuticorin Customs Commissionerate(CH). The jurisdiction starts from Northern Chennai and extends upto the Kerala border in the southwest near Colachel on the Arabian Sea. The total coastline is about 950 Kms long.

There are 5 Customs Divisions and 24 preventive field formations (Customs Preventive Units). Most of the formations are situated along the coast of Tamil Nadu except Karur, Coimbatore and Madurai. All are intended for detecting Commercial Fraud cases to unearth duty evasions and other violations of Customs Act / Foreign Trade Policy.

Trichy Customs Preventive Commissionerate is primarily a preventive Commissionerate for curbing smuggling activites. There are also minor ports at Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Karaikkal and Nagapattinam and ICDs at Karur, Pondicherry, Chettipalayam, Veerapandi, Thudiyalur, Irugur, Hosur, Madurai and Arakkonam and a few Public/Private/Special bonded warehouses. There are Customs International Airports at Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore..

As per Notification No.36/2002-Customs(NT) dated 13.06.2002, the jurisdiction of Commissionerate of Customs, Trichy is-

a) The whole State of Tamilnadu (excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of Customs(Airport and Aircargo), Chennai Port(Import), Chennai and Port(Export), Chennai and Tuticorin (Custom House) Commissionerate

b) The Union Territory of Pondicherry excluding Mahe Commune and Yenam Territory.