Extras on excise: virginia is part of the cigarette smuggling problem, but also part of the solution?
Due to having one of the lowest state excise taxes for cigarettes—$0.30 for a pack of 20 cigarettes—Virginia is a very popular source for smugglers who purchase large quantities of cigarettes and then sell them illegally in states with higher taxes. The Commonwealth, however, is aware this problem exists and is looking for solutions. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has found that cigarette smuggling leads to federal and state revenue losses of between $7 and $10 billion annually, as previously reported by Bloomberg News.
http://www.bna.com/extras-excise-virginia-b17179921799/
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Birmingham UGG boots store in ‘fake scam’ after two arrested on suspicion of fraud
Two suspected fraudsters have been arrested after police swooped on a city centre Birmingham shop which had allegedly been selling fake designer UGG boots. Officers raided the store, based in the Pavilions shopping mall, following complaints from angry customers who claimed they had been ripped off. The shop, which had UGG signage, had been allowed to open at the prime city centre location just days before Christmas.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-ugg-boots-store-fake-8367571
Lear MoreSouth Africa: Pakistani Businessman in Court for Cigarette Smuggling
Yesterday, 38-year-old Suid Mohammed appeared in the Lehurutshe Magistrate’s Court for trying to smuggle illicit tobacco worth more than R360 000,00 to South Africa through the Skilpadhek border post that South Africa shares with Botswana.
The Skilpadhek border police, in conjunction with the Directorate for Priority Investigation (the Hawks), arrested Muhammad in a joint, intelligence-driven operation on 27 December 2014. A total of 36 boxes, which contained cartons of illicit Pacific Blue cigarettes, were found hidden in a false compartment created in a trailer pulled by a bakkie driven by Mohammed.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201412300924.html
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Saudi seizes smuggled ‘X-Mas’ trees
Saudi customs authorities arrested two Arab men trying to smuggle Christmas trees into the conservative Gulf kingdom through its King Fahd causeway linking it with Bahrain. Officials said the trees were confiscated as they violated the country’s rules which ban celebrations on this occasion.
Sharq newspaper quoted the causeway’s director Daifallah Al Otaibi as saying legal measures would be taken against the two smugglers but he did not specify the punishment. “The punishment depends on the type of the smuggled products and whether they are for personal or commercial use,” he said.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-seizes-smuggled-x-mas-trees-2014-12-30-1.574976
Lear MoreRetailers fear surge in illegal cigarettes
Dismissed Customs exec Ernesto Aradanas denies link to oil smuggling
The former chief of the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) Davao collection district has dismissed as “not true, baseless and malicious” reports on his alleged involvement in oil smuggling, among other irregularities.
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Ernesto Aradanas, who was relieved of his post on Oct. 1, has called for due process and an impartial investigation of his case.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/659922/dismissed-customs-exec-ernesto-aradanas-denies-link-to-oil-smuggling#ixzz3NYQZftz8
Lear MoreAlibaba Spends More Than $160 Million In Fight Against Counterfeit Goods
Alibaba claims that the company has spent more than $160 million in its crusade to eliminate fake products in its e-commerce website. This figure encompasses their spending’s starting Jan 2013 until Nov of this year. The Chinese e-commerce giant has released official statement that they will be hiring an additional 200 more employees to its workforce of more than 2,000 workers in order to subdue the increasing amount of counterfeit products being sold in their website. Additionally, the company already has more than 5,400 volunteer workers who are aiding the company in its daily scrutiny of counterfeit goods.
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Dodgy Vodka and Fake Cigs: Pirated Goods Hit UK This Festive Season
Christmas drinkers have been warned to keep a close eye on their spirits this festive season, after a batch of counterfeit vodka containing potentially deadly chemicals was found in the country’s southwest.
In Devon, Somerset and Cornwall pubs, clubs, off-licences and punters have been told to report any suspicious bottles of spirits to authorities, after counterfeit Smirnoff vodka was sold to customers in the area.
http://uk.sputniknews.com/uk/20141225/1013319257.html
Lear MoreAlibaba took down 90 million counterfeit products before its IPO
The Chinese e-commerce giant spent more than $160 million in the last two years to fight fakes, a top executive says. (Bloomberg) — Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which faced scrutiny for selling counterfeit goods on its websites, said it removed 90 million listings that may have breached intellectual-property rights. The fake product listings were taken down across Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms through September this year, Chief Risk Officer Polo Shao said at a press conference in Hangzhou today. Alibaba, which raised a record $25 billion in an initial public offering in September, said it spent $160.7 million from the beginning of 2013 through last month to block counterfeit products and boost consumer protection.
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National Consumer Rights Week, 2014, New Delhi
23/12/2014 | New Delhi
FICCI CASCADE with the Department of Consumer Affairs celebrated the National Consumer Rights Week, 2014. The celebration was flagged off with a ‘Capacity Building Programme’ for Police Officials on 22 December, 2014at the Rajender Nagar Police Station, New Delhi.
Intellectual property is a tool to incentivize innovation and creativity to strengthen the economic growth of a nation. Enforcement agencies, police and customs play a pivotal role in protection of consumer rights. There areadequate laws available but enforcement of the laws makes the role of police officers most important to fight against counterfeiters and smugglers.
The training programme was organized with an objective of equipping the police officers tounderstand and take requisite action against counterfeiters and smugglers.Mr. Dipankar Barkakati, Head, FICCI CASCADE, welcomed the dignitaries and the participants at the programme.
Dr. Karunakaran, DCP training, Delhi police was the Chief Guest at theprogramme. He congratulated FICCI CASCADE on this great initiative to train officers on this very pertinent issue of counterfeiting and smuggling which is causing a huge socio economic loss. In his address he said that spreading awareness among the enforcement agencies to save the consumers from the hazards of counterfeiting & smuggling is a very essential. Products like counterfeited cosmetics, baby food, medicines, auto components impacts consumer directly and hence it is a serious health and safety concernsfor the consumers, which needs to be addressed urgently.
Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE, in his address said that we must pledge to ensure consumer safety on this National Consumer Rights Week. He informed about FICCI CASCADE’s mandate of capacity building of law enforcement agencies and how CASCADE had been working extensively and intensively in this areanationally, to increase awarenesson this issue. Mr. Chand also informed that leading intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found conclusive evidence of increasing involvement of terrorist organizations and thus urged the stakeholder to take tangible actions to strengthen enforcement of IP laws and ensure protection of the consumers.
At the training programme, IP experts discussed the impact of laws in our country on innovation, investments and most importantly on the general public as well as the search and seizures for strengthening the enforcement agencies. Dr. Alka Chawla, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi sensitized the officers on the legal provisions relating to offences and penalties for counterfeiting.Mr. Vikrant Rana, Partner, S S Rana & Co. addressed the gathering on the current enforcement procedures and trends for prevention of smuggling and counterfeiting.
Industry members discussed the latest technologies to distinguish the original product from the fake ones. The training programme was successfully attended by over 60 police officers and provided a useful platformfor the exchange of ideas and experiences in the enforcement of laws and practices whiledealing with counterfeiters and smugglers. The industry speakers included Ms. Meenu Chandra, Director, IP Policy, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd. and Mr. Farooq Saleem, Deputy Manager Marketing (Brand Protection & Market Research), Hyundai Mobis India whodeliberated on the various aspects that a police officer needs to keep in mind whileinvestigating cases of smuggling and counterfeiting. The training programme ended with intensive dialogues on this issue.
While on one hand enforcement agencies such as the police play a fundamental role in protection of consumer rights, on the other hand, it is also the level of awareness amongst consumers which empowers them to know the alarming magnitude and seek discontinuance of unfair trade practices like smuggling and counterfeiting.
India has young population profile and is set to be the youngest country by 2020. Youth of India being the country’s future, it becomes imperative to understand the power of the consumers of tomorrow. With the youth becoming a key stakeholder for advocating socially responsible behavior, FICCI CASCADE believes that it is important to bring today’s youth onboard the awareness campaign and through them influence the society as a whole. An idea planted in their minds can become an instrument of change. On the occasion of National Consumer Rights Week, FICCI CASCADE organized a youth festival – ‘Youth for Consumer Rights – Towards Socially Responsible Citizens’ on December 23, 2014 at the Indraprastha World School in New Delhi. The youth festival saw participation of over 200 students from various schools of Delhi. Along with song and dance performances on the subject ‘Smuggling and Counterfeiting – A Menace’, students enthusiastically participated in the interschool Elocution and Painting Competition themed: ‘Youth Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting’. Through the competitions, not only did all witness the skills and creative abilities of the school children, but also saw the passion in them in making a change in the society by shunning fake products and saying no to smuggled goods.
To reiterate, awareness generation is extremely crucial in bringing change in attitudes from considering counterfeiting and smuggling activities as victimless crime to the realization that these cause major risks, both social and economic. A pro-active and preventative approach and strategy is the need of the hour to curb the twin menace.
