Seizures of illegal cigarettes reach 15-year low
Hauls of cigarettes are smaller and better concealed as drugs gangs professionalise smuggling.
Seizures of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes have plummeted in the Republic this year as gangs involved in the drugs trade have moved into the area and enjoyed considerable success in evading detection. If trends witnessed in the first eight months of the year are maintained until the end of 2013, seizures will be at their lowest levels for a decade and a half and will have fallen by two-thirds on the €95 million to €110 million seen in recent years. This is despite the fact that demand for illegal cigarettes remains at all-time highs, with smokers keen to source packets of 20 for around half the price of a packet on sale in legitimate retailers. Interceptions are taking place more infrequently than before and involve smaller quantities, despite the Revenue Commissioner’s own research that the black market trade remains steady at around 13 per cent of the total cigarette sales market in Ireland.
http://www.irishtimes.com/seizures-of-illegal-cigarettes-reach-15-year-low-1.1552183
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Police seize suspected counterfeit sunglasses
SUSPECTED counterfeit branded sunglasses have been seized by police in Winsford. Officers executed a warrant at Bakers Court on Friday morning, September 2013. During the search of the premises a quantity of various branded sunglasses were discovered. Officers believed that they were counterfeit and arrested a 44-year-old male at the address. Trading Standards were contacted and have interviewed the male who is now on bail until November 25 pending further enquiries.
http://www.winsfordguardian.co.uk/news/10721406.Police_seize_suspected_counterfeit_sunglasses/
Lear MoreTanzania: Prosecute Windhoek Beer Smugglers, DPP Urged
MABIBO Beer Wine and Spirit Limited have asked the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to prosecute all the people who have caused the government to suffer pecuniary losses in terms of revenue for smuggling Windhoek Premium Lager Beer in Tanzania. Already two businessmen, Ambere Mwaseba (38) and Sebastian Kavishe (45), have been arraigned at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam for allegedly infringement of exclusive rights of the company by trading several cartons of the beer brand valued at over 107m/-. “Smuggling of Windhoek Premium Lager Beer has great negative impact in the country’s economy,” the Executive Chairman with the Company, Mrs Bernadette Rugemalira, told journalists in Dar es Salaam on Friday. She emphasized that to avoid confusion with other smuggled products, the beer brand for the Company on both bottles and boxes would have a specific indication showing that the sole distributor of the beer brand would be Mabibo Beer and Spirit Limited in addition with gradual MB66 mark. Stressing on the need of respecting the Rule of Law at the same meeting, Independent International Consultant with the company, Mr James Rugemalira, said Mabibo Beer and Spirit Limited was the sole importer and distributor of the beer brand in the country.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201310071788.html
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Oct 04 – RGP Smuggling Operation Seizes 15000 Cigarettes
As a result of an on-going surveillance operation the RGP arrested, on Thursday 3 October 2013 at the Queensway Car Park, seven Spanish nationals on suspicion of being knowingly concerned in the attempted exportation of a commercial quantity of tobacco, as a result of the arrests approximately 15000 cigarettes, a Ford Transit van, a Citroen Picasso, a white Nissan vanette and a Mitsubishi Charisma were seized by the police. The Ford Transit van was being used as a mobile workshop where tyres were being deflated and then packed with cigarettes. The tyres were then inflated and placed on waiting vehicles. The said van had all its windows blackened which made the interior non visible from outside. Inside there was an air compressor connected to the vehicles battery. There was also some sort of ‘A’ frame, which allowed them to remove the tyre from the wheel. This was a well-planned operation to smuggle large quantities of cigarettes through the frontier undetected.
The seven arrested persons have all been bailed out in the sum of £1000 in their own recognizance to appear at Police Headquarters on the 27 November 2013.
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Tracking terror money
During the past few decades, intelligence and law-enforcement agencies around the world have found conclusive evidence of the increasing involvement of terrorism organisations in counterfeiting, piracy and smuggling activities to fund terrorist attacks. While several counterfeiting outfits are transferring portions of their proceeds to terrorist organisations, some of these are set up for the sole purpose of financing terrorism. Counterfeiting of drugs, luxury goods, cigarettes, etc. is a major source of contribution to funding. Similarly, smuggling of goods is used by terrorist organisations to raise funds and launder proceeds from other businesses, and use these to finance terrorism. According to a FICCI-E&Y report ‘Counterfeiting, Piracy and Smuggling — Growing Threat to National Security’, the costs incurred by terrorist organisations can be divided into direct and indirect costs. The direct costs incurred include those of materials used in attacks, e.g., explosives, vehicles, weapons, communication equipment, etc. The indirect costs incurred, which are usually much higher than direct ones, include those of running terrorist organisations, including recruitment, training, propagation of agenda, cost of inactive terrorist cells, etc. Investigations by law enforcement agencies have revealed that smuggling of gold, cigarettes, oil, precious gems and stones, music and film DVDs, narcotic drugs, etc., are major contributors towards financing of terrorism. Given their vast network, it is easier for organised crime outfits to raise funds through counterfeiting, piracy and smuggling.
http://www.thehindu.com/
Pack Expo 2013: new anti-counterfeit and coding technology
Last month’s Pack Expo in Las Vegas saw the launch of a several new products with anti-counterfeit and coding applications.
Roll print Packaging says it has developed an anti counterfeiting watermark for packaging films that provides “observable, hard-to-replicate embedded brand protection” for medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging and other high-value goods, according to the company. Called Ghost, the watermark can be used on a range of packaging – including pouches – and can be integrated into standard production processes. Complete Inspection Systems launched HD Barcode, which it describes as a 2D barcode for product authentication without the need for Internet or database look-ups. The company said the code can hold 175 times more data than a traditional 2D barcode – including images and html – and uses a proprietary reading application that allows users to scan and read product details at any location. Each HD Barcode includes a unique manufacturer identification code and only authorized users have the ability to scan and read encrypted data using either a smart phone or PC based application.
Lear More3 Booked for smuggling foreign cigarttes
- RGI airport
- Foreign cigarettes
- Abdullah Abdul Masood
HYDERABAD: Three persons from Kerala were caught by the customs sleuths at RGI Airport for smuggling Rs 5.2 lakh worth foreign cigarettes.
The accused Abdul Khadir, Mohammed Abdul Mutalia and Abdullah Abdul Masood from Kerala arrived here from Dubai in an Indigo flight on Monday morning. The trio was intercepted at the check area and caught with 66,960 imported cigarettes and 240 gutkha packets in their luggage. A case was booked against the trio.
Lear MoreMagherafelt trader given a suspended sentence for selling counterfeit CDs and DVDs
An online trader who was manufacturing and selling counterfeit CDs and DVDs was today given a four month suspended sentence (suspended for two years) at Magherafelt Magistrates court.
In a case brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Mr. Terrance Simmons, who traded on eBay and via his own website “My Lady Gaga” pleaded guilty to a total of 8 charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998. Mr Simmons was also forfeited two computers and other equipment. In May 2012, Trading Standards Officers, accompanied by recording industry specialists, visited Mr. Simmons’s home and found that he had turned his spare room in to a small business for the manufacture and sale of counterfeit Lady Gaga CDs and DVDs. The officers seized a quantity of pre-recorded and blank CDs and DVDs and their associated art work. Computers, CD/DVD rewriters and master copy CDs and DVDs were also seized. Mr. Simmons had been operating a website “My Lady Gaga” which he used to sell illegal copies of both trademarked and copyrighted works all over the world. He also used various identities on eBay to sell the fake goods.
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SA cops tackle Zimbabwe cigarettes smuggling
THE South African Police Service (Saps) is today convening a multi-sectorial summit in Polokwane, Limpopo Province, to deal with rampant smuggling of cigarettes into that country by Zimbabweans.
The summit is being hosted by the Saps Limpopo provincial commissioner, the Directorate Priority Crime Investigation Limpopo, the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa and the University of Limpopo to discuss ways to effectively curb the illicit trade in cigarettes in the province. The Saps’ Limpopo provincial spokesperson colonel Ronel Otto told Southern Eye in a telephone interview yesterday that today’s meeting objectives were aimed at devising ways of dealing with rampant smuggling of cigarettes from Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge border post. “The smuggling is very rampant to the extent that different brands of cigarettes are being smuggled into Limpopo Province in transit to Gauteng Province,” she said.
http:// bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-africa-byo-36849.html
Lear MoreGovt mulls mandatory jail for cigarette smugglers
KUALA LUMPUR: The Customs Act 1967 is being considered for amendment to provide mandatory jail for smuggling and selling smuggled cigarettes by retailers and other outlets. This is among the measures proposed by the Customs Department to combat smuggling of illicit cigarettes which is reportedly caused Malaysia to lose about RM1.9 billion in tax revenue last year. Customs director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad said also proposed was the implementation of the Enforcement Transformation Programme involving patrol, mobile customs offices and listening posts to raise public awareness on the importance of eradicating smuggled goods. Also to be created was a comprehensive risk management system – National Targeting Centre (NTC) which would be loaded into the U-Customs system, being developed by the department, he said in a statement today.
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