States Smoking the Most Smuggled Cigarettes
Tobacco consumption in America has declined consistently since the surgeon general’s office published its first report in 1965. However, more than 18% of adults still identified as smokers in 2013, and in many states, demand for tobacco is high enough to justify large-scale smuggling operations. In New York, a nation-leading 58% of the cigarette market was smuggled in 2013. The share is so high that it hardly fits the description of an underground market.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/02/17/states-smoking-the-most-smuggled-cigarettes/
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Bill seeks to tamp down cigarette trafficking
Sen. Bryce E. Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, urged the General Assembly on Friday to pass a bill that would crack down on cigarette trafficking and, by extension, the funding of terrorist groups. “I’m making a plea to the citizens of the commonwealth, to ask for your support to combat terrorism,” Reeves said. At a press conference, Reeves gathered with members of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Virginia State Crime Commission to push for support of Senate Bill 1230. It would shift the regulation and sale of all cigarette and tobacco products from the Virginia Department of Taxation to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
http://rvanews.com/news/bill-seeks-to-tamp-down-cigarette-trafficking/122244
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2,500 Tons of the Food We Eat is Fake
New evidence may cast some doubt on the purity of your favorite foods. Interpol, the international criminal police organization, announced that it seized thousands of tons of fake food in a joint operation with Europol over the past two months—including seemingly benign mainstays like mozzarella, eggs, bottled mineral water, strawberries, cooking oil and dried fruit—in 47 countries.
http://time.com/3711938/food-fraud-interpol/
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Cash boost in fight against fake goods
A GOVERNMENT minister is visiting Southampton today to announce a funding boost to stop millions of pounds worth of counterfeit goods pouring in to the UK. Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson will announce £400,000 of extra funding for trading standards officers to continue their crackdown on fake goods shipped into the city’s docks. The Liberal Democrat will pledge £182,000 for the ports and border project run by National Trading Standards (NTS) at the ports of Southampton and Felixstowe.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11798373.Cash_boost_in_fight_against_fake_goods/
Lear MoreBrief: Helsinki airport a hub for fake smartphones
Helsinki flightCustoms officers in Finland say Helsinki airport has become a major transit point for counterfeit electronic goods such as smartphones, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle. The transport hub provides a quick route for Asian counterfeit producers shipping their knock-offs into the EU, say the officials, who intercepted a shipment of 2,500 fake smartphones en route from Hong Kong towards the end of last year.
Lear MoreMI5 fights IRA smugglers
MI5, the British intelligence service, is cracking down on a global cigarette-smuggling operation estimated to be generating tens of millions of euros a year for Irish republican terrorists. Criminals linked to the Provisional IRA and a dissident faction called the New IRA are smuggling between 150m and 200m contraband cigarettes into Britain, where they are sold on by street dealers and shops. The terror groups are also smuggling vast quantities of laundered diesel into Britain, particularly to the northwest of England, where they have established contacts with Turkish gangs.
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The big business of deception
Worldwide, counterfeiting accounts for more than half a trillion dollars, or 5% to 7%, of world trade each year. Counterfeiters are involved in the illegal production of knock-offs in virtually every conceivable area – food, clothes, pharmaceuticals, toys, health & wellness products, bath & beauty products, and much more. Often the temptation of bargain basement pricing can be too strong for consumers to resist, with many not understanding the risks and ramifications attached to this illicit industry.
Lear MoreFormer deputy accused of smuggling contraband in Broward jail
A former Broward detention deputy went on trial Tuesday, charged with taking a bribe to smuggle contraband into the north Broward jail in Pompano Beach in 2011. Tavares West, 38, was identified to investigators by informants who said he was willing to sneak in cigarettes and other items to inmates for a price. A sting operation resulted in his arrest after detectives said he accepted a $400 payment to bring cigarettes, batteries and headphones to one of the inmates. “He sold his integrity for $400,” said prosecutor Tim Donnelly.
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Dogs seize illegal tobacco in Preston
Sniffer dogs helped to discover large amounts of illegal tobacco in raids carried out by Lancashire County Council Trading Standards Service in Preston on Thursday. Over 50 packs of contraband cigarettes, tobacco, and tobacco blunts were seized after eight retail premises were visited by Trading Standards, the Police and two sniffer dogs. The haul included possible counterfeit and non-duty-paid tobacco products which cannot be legally sold in the UK. Eleven bottles labelled as Glen’s vodka were also seized. They are suspected to be counterfeit.
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/dogs-seize-illegal-tobacco-in-preston-1-7107952
Lear MoreOver a quarter of South West cigarettes could be illegal
More than a quarter of cigarettes sold in the South West are either illegal or purchased outside of the UK, a survey has revealed. Researchers have warned the profits made could be ending up in the pockets of organised crime and terrorist groups. The discarded pack collection survey by MSIntelligence found that approximately 27% of the region’s cigarettes are either counterfeits, smuggled or obtained through other methods from outside of the country.
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