Romanian seizes EUR 6 mln worth of smuggled cigarettes in eight months
Romanian customs workers seized almost 49 million smuggled cigarettes worth some EUR 6 million in the first eight months of this year, said Claudiu Ardeleanu, the general manager of Romania’s General Directorate for Customs. This represented a growth of 34% year-on-year. The three main tobacco companies in Romania, the National Tax Administration ANAF and Romania’s customs recently agreed to collaborate in fighting the black market for cigarettes and cigarette smuggling.
Lear MoreSeminar on Curbing Counterfeiting and Smuggling – An Imperative for Indian Economy, Hyderabad
18/9/2014 | Hyderabad
India’s economic growth story has attracted the world’s attention, bringing new challenges for the domestic economy. One of the major issues for the economy and the industry is the uninhibited growth of counterfeit, fake and smuggled goods. The market for fake and counterfeit products is thriving in India and is today one of the biggest challenges faced by Indian industry. FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeit Activities Destroying the Economy – FICCI CASCADE, with the participation of all leading industries from all sectors of the economy, is committed to fight this twin menace of counterfeiting and smuggling.
FICCI CASCADE, with a view to engage all relevant stakeholders including government representatives, enforcement agencies, excise and customs, consumer activists, media as well as industry and legal experts, and to sensitize them to fight against counterfeiting and smuggling, organized a seminar on “Curbing Counterfeiting and Smuggling – An Imperative for Indian Economy” on 18 September, 2014 in Hyderabad. The seminar brought together experts to raise concerns over the growing illicit trade and to create large-scale awareness among the impacted segments of the society.
Counterfeit good dealers sentenced
Donald Kadondara (32), from Katlehong, appeared in court on a charge of copyright infringement.He pleaded guilty and was found guilty on September 8 and sentenced on September 11, to R3 000 or three months imprisonment.On June 18, the accused was arrested for selling 127 copied DVD’s, without the copyright holder’s consent, at an intersection in Boksburg.According to the accused he bought the DVD’s for R5 each from a man in a parking area at a shopping centre.
http://boksburgadvertiser.co.za/209663/counterfeit-good-dealers-sentenced/
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Brief: Fake iPhone 6 handsets seized in US
iPhone 6US customs have seized fraudulent iPhone 6 handsets, even before the new device has been launched onto the market.In late August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents intercepted two iPhone 6 phones among other counterfeit devices and cell phone accessories infringing the intellectual property rights (IPR) of Apple and Samsung.
The various courier consignments inspected by CBP officers at the San Juan Air Cargo facility, revealed other fake products such as 2 Samsung Galaxy phones, and 319 iPhone cell phone panels.
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Mathematic model can guide anti-counterfeit strategy
ShoppingBrand owners often cite a lack of data about the way counterfeits penetrate the supply chain as a barrier to tackling the problem, but researchers in China are developing mathematical models to help them understand how the illicit market functions.Their research focuses not on non-deceptive counterfeits – such as a $20 Louis Vuitton bag that the purchaser clearly knows is not genuine – but rather fakes which are deceptively packaged and sold as authentic brand name products via the brand owner’s supply chain.
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GHD Hails £1m Counterfeit Seizure
Leeds-headquartered premium hair care products brand GHD has hailed the authorities after £1m worth of fake straighteners and hairdryers were seized.A spokesman for the private equity-backed business said its number one priority is to “protect GHD consumers by preventing the importation and sale of potentially dangerous counterfeit goods”.The fake appliances were removed from shops and markets in Manchester by trading standards officers.
http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/123549-/
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Nelson shop worker caught with haul of counterfeit tobacco
A SHOP worker has been ordered to carry out 150 hours community service after being caught with a haul of dodgy tobacco in Nelson.Investigators from Lancashire trading standards found 536 packets of various cigarettes, but mainly Mayfairs, without health warnings when they raided Reedyford off licence in February.
And Imran Zafar, 24, also had 115 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco, chiefly Golden Virginia, minus the health warnings. The 105 Golden Virginia pouches were also found to be counterfeit, Burnley magistrates were told.
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Ringleader of counterfeit goods outfit sentenced to 30 months in prison
A counterfeit goods ringleader has been sentenced to a total of two and a half years in prison for selling fake branded goods across London and beyond.On Tuesday 26 August, at Basildon Crown Court, Ashish Chopra was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. Chahat Chopra and Tina Chopra were each given suspended prison sentences of 18 months. Tina Chopra was given 150 hours of unpaid work and Chahat Chopra was given 200 hours of unpaid work.Havering Council were first alerted to the case when Trading Standards officers seized fake branded goods including Juicy Couture, Chanel, Gucci, The White Company and Louis Vuitton at a storage centre used by the family.
Lear MoreContraband cigarettes break 1-billion-pack mark in Vietnam
More than one billion packs of cigarette have been illicitly transported into Vietnam so far this year, the Market Surveillance Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has reported. “Cigarette smuggling remains rife in Vietnam,” the market watchdog agency said in a preliminary report to recap its efforts to combat smuggled tobacco. The agency has so far handled 4,712 tobacco smuggling cases, and transferred 21 of these to police for indictment. Officers have also seized eight cars, 432 motorbikes, and seven boats which smugglers used to transport the illicit products.
Lear MoreDOF clears BIR use of tobacco tax stamps to arrest smuggling
The Department of Finance (DOF) has cleared the implementation of tax stamps on cigarettes in a bid to minimize smuggling. In a statement, DOF said it approved the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) revenue regulation seeking to affix tax stamps on both imported and locally-manufactured tobacco products. “This measure will strengthen our capacity to combat smuggling of tobacco products. We believe in implementing regulations with enough teeth to bite down on smugglers who are intent on depriving the nation of critical resources for greed and private gain,” said BIR chief Kim Jacinto-Henares. BIR will prescribe the Internal Revenue Stamp System (IRSIS) for the ordering, distribution, and monitoring of cigarettes.
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