Fake cigarettes laced with deadly byproduct of nuclear explosions feared to be bound for Scotland
FAKE cigarettes laced with a deadly byproduct of nuclear explosions are feared to be bound for Scotland. Officials in Poland recently seized a batch of counterfeit fags found to contain Strontium 90, a radioactive isotope produced when atomic weapons explode. And a senior UK Customs detective said: “If that product is on the market, chances are it could end up here.” Britain is a prime target for tobacco smugglers partly because of our tax on cigarettes, which is among the highest in Europe.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/fake-cigarettes-laced-deadly-byproduct-4577254
Lear MoreLarge Seizure of Fine Cut Tobacco
CORNWALL, ON, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – On October 5, 2014 members of the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) apprehended three males in the South Glengarry area who were allegedly involved in smuggling illegal tobacco. David BILODEAU, age 30 of Courselles, QC, along with Yannick HENLEY-FRANCOEUR, age 29 of Saint Anicet, QC, and Eric HENLEY-FRANCOEUR, age 21 of Cazaville, QC were arrested and charged for possession of 3,500 baggies of illegal cigarettes. Officers also seized a 1998 GMC Sierra Pickup and a 1996 Yamaha motorcycle. Further investigation revealed that Yannick HENLEY-FRANCOEUR is currently waiting disposition for drug charges out of Quebec as well tobacco related offences out of Valleyfield, Quebec. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on December 2, 2014. The other 2 males will appear in court on January 7, 2015.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1440023/large-seizure-of-fine-cut-tobacco
Lear MoreFailed GSD ‘parking centrepiece’ is a den for smuggling activity
In 2010 the then Chief Minister Peter Caruana called the multi-million pound multi-storey car park Devil’s Tower Road a major project that represented the ‘Centre Piece’ of the GSD Government’s extensive range of parking projects and schemes to provide valuable parking facilities. Over recent years the only issue or anti-social problem that has really taken advantage of this enormous building, has been the increased smuggling activity in the area.
http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=12564&offset=0
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RCMP reveals details of its $92-million plan to erect a 700-kilometre surveillance fence along the Canada-U.S. border
A massive intelligence-gathering network of RCMP video cameras, radar, ground sensors, thermal radiation detectors and more will be erected along the U.S.-Canada border in Ontario and Quebec by 2018, the Mounties said Tuesday.
The $92-million surveillance web, formally known as the Border Integrity Technology Enhancement Project, will be concentrated in more than 100 “high-risk” cross-border crime zones spanning 700 kilometres of eastern Canada, said Assistant Commissioner Joe Oliver, the RCMP’s head of technical operations.
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RCMP unveils massive border security project
New details surfaced Tuesday about a massive intelligence-gathering network of RCMP video cameras, radar, ground sensors, thermal radiation detectors and more to be erected along the Ontario and Quebec borders with the United States – which could eventually have access to the collected data.
The $92-million surveillance web, formally known as the Border Integrity Technology Enhancement Project, will be concentrated in more than 100 “high-risk” cross-border crime zones spanning 700 kilometres of eastern Canada, said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Joe Oliver, head of technical operations. He was addressing security industry executives attending the SecureTech conference and trade show at Ottawa’s Shaw Centre.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/rcmp-unveils-massive-border-security-project
Lear MoreGov’t to raise tax on tobacco products
The Government is planning to increase the special consumption tax imposed on tobacco products to raise income for the state budget and reduce the number of smokers.
Deputy director of the Taxation Policy Department under the Ministry of Finance, Nguyen Van Tuan, said: “The Government has asked the National Congress to raise the tax imposed on tobacco products from 65 per cent to 70 per cent by the end of 2018 and to 75 per cent in 2019”.
However, the Government should improve its efforts to prevent people from using smuggled products because it hit the State budget, Tuan said. He predicted the draft law would help the Government claim VND154 trillion ($7.3 billion) in taxes for the State budget from 2015 to 2020.
Lear MoreChina’s farm smuggling crackdown uncovers $1.16 billion in lost tax
China’s crackdown on agricultural smuggling has uncovered 487 cases with a tax evasion value of 7.1 billion yuan ($1.16 billion), a rise of 71 percent in the past year, said the central government in a report on its website (www.gov.cn). The crackdown on smuggling of cheaper farm produce started in March and comes after Beijing raised domestic agricultural prices to protect its rural population.
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How to Protect Against China Counterfeiting
If you sell or outsource your products to China, you should anticipate infringement of your trademarks, copyrights, patents, or trade secrets, and have an anti-counterfeiting/misappropriation plan in place before that happens.The first step for any company doing business in China is to protect its intellectual property rights. Trademarks, patents, and industrial designs must be registered in China to be protected in China.
http://abovethelaw.com/2014/11/how-to-protect-against-china-counterfeiting/
Lear MoreBoosting SMEs’ productivity with standardisation
Dr Joseph Odumodu, Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) brought home the devastating effects of substandard products recently at the 2014 anti-counterfeit conference hosted by Hewlett-Packard in Abuja when he said that they have been responsible for the death of many Nigerians, loss of over N100 billion to the economy, and millions of job losses.
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Product Engineers And Designers Plagued By Counterfeit Parts
As product engineers pursue opportunities for the Internet of Things and what is being called the “Next Industrial Revolution” they need to be sure to avoid buying cheap counterfeit parts. Counterfeit electronic components and counterfeit electronic products are ongoing challenges for the electronics industry, but they are also causing serious safety concerns for consumers.
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