Kolkata: The Bengal STF conducted a raid Tuesday night at PTS More, under Baishnabnagar Thana in Malda and recovered fake currency worth over Rs 21 lakh. The fake currency was brought in from Bangladesh, even as cops are probing a possible Nepal angle too. Two people have been arrested.”The arrested individuals have been identified as Hajrat Belal, aka Masud, aged 24, from Baishnabnagar, and Toriqul Islam, aged 25, from Kaliachak, both in Malda. The duo was found loitering suspiciously along the roadside of NH12, heading towards Farakka,” said SP (Operations) Indrajit Basu.Upon searching their belongings, the sleuths discovered two bags filled with bundles of counterfeit currency. The seized fake currency comprised a total of 4,174 notes of Rs 500.

Gujarat fake currency racket busted: Rs 40 Lakh fake notes seized, kingpin on the run
AHMEDABAD: In a late-night raid, Banaskantha Police’s Local Crime Branch (LCB) cracked a major fake currency racket in Gujarat’s Deesa taluka. Acting on a tip-off about counterfeit notes being printed in Mahadeviya village, an LCB team swooped in and uncovered a secret factory.
Two men were arrested on the spot, and fake notes worth over Rs 40 lakh were seized along with printing equipment. The bust has exposed a dangerous network of counterfeiters flooding the market with duplicate currency.
Acting on specific intelligence, the LCB swooped down on a house late Wednesday night, where fake currency was allegedly being printed. Two accused, Sanjay Soni and Kaushik Shrimali, were caught red-handed during the raid. However, the mastermind, Raymal Singh, managed to escape and is currently absconding.
Gujarat: 46 tonnes of adulterated food items worth Rs 1.8 crore seized in August
The Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) conducted around 10 raids across various districts in Gujarat in August, seizing adulterated and duplicate food items valued at Rs 1.8 crore, according to officials.
During the raids, authorities seized 28 samples containing 46 tonnes of adulterated food items.The seized items included ghee, palm oil, cooking medium, and silver foil.
“Strict action is being taken against those who make adulterated and duplicate food items. A special drive was organised by the administration throughout the month of Shravan to ensure that the public gets pure and safe food items,” Commissioner Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), Dr HG Koshiya was quoted in a statement.
Excise raids in Nalgonda, Hyderabad; black jaggery, alum, MDMA worth ₹10L seized
In Devarakonda, Nalgonda district, the Excise enforcement team intercepted a goods vehicle at Chennaram X Road in Kondapally and seized 6,000 kgs of black jaggery and 300 kgs of alum, allegedly being smuggled from Bidar in Karnataka, to be used in illicit liquor brewing.
Officials said that the total value of the confiscated goods, including the vehicle, is an estimated ₹10 lakh. The driver, identified as K. Chandrapal of Guntur, was arrested, while three others — Angothu Ramesh, Tarun and Narayana from Bidar, are absconding. The case has been handed over to the Devarakonda Excise team for further probe.
Liquor worth 1.5cr seized, largest by state excise dept
Kolhapur: The Kolhapur division of the state excise department has made a significant seizure this year, confiscating 12,000 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor valued at Rs1.5 crore.
The “only for sale in Goa” alcohol was being smuggled into Maharashtra from the neighbouring state.
According to preliminary investigations, the liquor was intended for transport to Shahada in Nandurbar, from where it would be further smuggled into the prohibited state of Gujarat. The attractive price difference between liquor in Goa and Maharashtra makes this a lucrative business for the smugglers.
Acting on a tip-off, excise officers set up a trap at Padwalwadi near Panhala in Kolhapur district, where a truck carrying the smuggled goods was stopped. The seized liquor was found in 1,400 boxes containing 180ml bottles. Two men, one from Islampur in the Sangli district and another from Haveli tehsil in the Pune district, have also been arrested.
Iraq’s National Security Service seizes tons of smuggled goods in nationwide operations
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) announced today, Wednesday (August 27, 2025), a series of significant security operations across several provinces that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of smuggled goods and illicit materials. These operations, conducted with full judicial approval, target violations of legal and safety standards.
In Anbar province, the Ports Security Directorate, in coordination with the Anbar Security Directorate, seized two vehicles carrying 48 tons of chicken that were illegally imported from banned sources. The drivers were arrested and handed over to judicial authorities. In a separate operation, the service intercepted two large vehicles carrying 3,640 cartons of banned food items, arresting three suspects and transferring all seized goods to the relevant authorities.
https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/iraq-national-security-service-smuggling/

Customs Makes Arrest After Seizing 927,000 Cigarettes
A 43-year-old man was scheduled to appear in the Manukau District Court today for importing 927,000 uncustomed cigarettes and evading NZ$1.4 million in taxes.
Customs arrested the defendant on Monday 25 August following search warrants conducted with assistance from New Zealand Police at a range of Auckland addresses, including storage facilities and residences. He is charged with importing prohibited goods, defrauding Customs revenue, and possession of uncustomed goods.
Smuggled cigarettes, refurbished mobile phones seized at Coimbatore airport
Customs officials seized smuggled goods worth ₹36.81 lakhs from seven passengers at the Coimbatore International Airport on Saturday (August 23, 2025).
Sources said Tharun Sekaran of Tiruvarur, Syed Amanulla Sulthan and Piratthiyunan Kengamuthu of Ramanathapuram, Ajmeer Kaja Maideen of Tirunelveli, Mansoor Khan Babu of Chennai, and Yasar Arafath Abdul Jabbar and Faisal Ahamed Mohamed Yusuf of Sivagangai arrived from Sharjah by Flight No. G9-410 on Saturday morning.

Rivera Customs Seizes $3 Million Contraband from Five Vichadero Businesses
Customs officials in Vichadero recently delivered a powerful blow against illegal trade. They successfully seized more than $3,000,000 worth of smuggled goods. This large-scale operation targeted five businesses in the area.
The inspections revealed an astonishing variety of items. This wasn’t just about small, easy-to-hide goods. Authorities found everything from large household appliances to construction materials. A wide range of beverages was also part of the illegal stash. All these products had entered the country without paying proper taxes or undergoing necessary checks.
Walking through the raided shops, one would have seen many large items. There were refrigerators, various cooking stoves, and even traditional “creole” stoves. Microwave ovens and mattresses were also found. It was like a vast, unauthorized discount store, stocked with goods brought in illegally.
Rivera Customs Seizes $3 Million Contraband from Five Vichadero Businesses
Racket involving Sri Lankan passengers-Chennai airport staff busted; customs seizes Rs 2.5 cr gold
CHENNAI: After a brief hiatus, Chennai Customs on Monday busted another gold smuggling racket involving Sri Lankan transit passengers and a contract staff of the Chennai International Airport leading to the seizure of 2.57 kg gold worth Rs 2.5 crore and the arrest of five persons.
The seizure comes after many smugglers started opting for other smuggling modes, following action against the aforesaid modus operandi in 2024, sources said.
In a release, Customs said that they mounted surveillance on the transit area of the airport in the intervening night of August 17 and 18. The team found two SL passengers, who landed at 2 am by an Indigo flight, to be suspicious based on their “weird” travel route of Dubai-Chennai-Singapore-Colombo with longer layovers at Chennai.