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Research at Brock University looks into the counterfeit product industry

For some people nothing beats the rush of a new purchase. A new designer handbag or a pair of must-have sneakers can make all the difference in a hectic week, or even just as a treat. A designer brand that everyone is talking about can make a person feel one step ahead in life. However some opt for the designer look and feel without bothering with the designers themselves, and instead reach for a knock-off. These ‘fake’ products range from cheap and unconvincing to more accurate emulations of the original. Either way, these almost-designer items are counterfeit and often that means illegal.

http://www.brockpress.com/2016/10/research-at-brock-university-looks-into-the-counterfeit-product-industry/

Man indicted in cigarette smuggling ring faces additional drug charges

Federal authorities have brought additional drug charges against one of the half-dozen men indicted last month in connection with a cigarette smuggling ring that allegedly relied upon the help of three local law enforcement officers.
The FBI last week charged Anwar “Tony” Abdelmajid-Ahmad with trying to purchase a kilogram of heroin, the highly addictive opioid that has been blamed for an increasing number of local overdose deaths.
Abdelmajid-Ahmad, 29, was taken into custody during a sting operation at a New Orleans hotel. He was ordered held without bail following a brief court appearance Monday.
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_4c1c57fe-8a6f-11e6-aa05-db9c32fc49f0.html

‘Cheap whites’: The new trend dominating tobacco black markets

Tobacco smugglers have found new ways of expanding their illegal activities and now focus on a trend called “cheap whites”, which is raising new challenges for European regulators and Europol.
The illicit tobacco trade is a global issue accounting for an estimated 10.4% of the cigarette market worldwide. In addition to being a major funding source for organised crime, the cost to European tax revenues is estimated to amount to €11.3 billion a year (See background).
The European Commission is addressing the issue as part of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and has ratified the World Health Organisation’s Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (FCTC).
https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/mondaycheap-whites-the-new-trend-dominating-tobacco-black-markets/

Tobacco industry urges war on smugglers

The Việt Nam Tobacco Association (VTA) has called for changes to the law to enable authorities to combat the increasing incidence of cigarette smuggling.
“We suggest the Government should amend the law to reduce the number of cigarettes that can be smuggled without attracting criminal charges from 1,500 to 500 packs,” Phạm Kiến Nghiệp, general secretary of VAT, told Việt Nam News.
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/343597/tobacco-industry-urges-war-on-smugglers.html#713vsWLydb1RHtga.99

Cops bust fake coin factory in Delhi

This was a mint making coins of 5 and 10 denominations, except that it wasn’t run by the government. In a rare catch, police have stumbled upon a clandestine factory in Bawana area of outer Delhi which was minting coins that looked like the real ones.
The racket was busted when one of the distributors, Naresh Kumar, was detained on suspicion by cops at a check-post in Rohini. Around one lakh coins were later seized from the factory.
Teams have been formed to arrest the two alleged masterminds of the operation, who are known by code-names Raju and Sonu. The factory manager, Rajesh Kumar, has been detained.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-bust-fake-coin-factory-in-Delhi/articleshow/54647723.cms

Curb illicit tobacco trade, smuggling

TOBACCO Institute of Southern Africa (TISA) says efforts by the Zambian government to boost foreign reserves will remain exposed if the continued loss of annual revenue taxes worth K50 million through illicit trade and smuggling is not stopped.
TISA has since called for increased law enforcement and that border controls should be a priority for stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs if Zambia is to address the country’s revenue losses, resulting from a drop in copper prices, among other factors.

https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=81146

Illicit tobacco trade costs Zambia more than K50 million per year

Government’s efforts to shore up the national budget and boost foreign reserves remain exposed to the continued loss of taxation revenue through illicit trade and smuggling. Increased law enforcement and border controls should be a priority for stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs if Zambia is to address the country’s loss of revenue resulting from a drop incopper prices among other factors.According to the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), so profitable is the illicit trade that tobacco products are the world’s most widely smuggled legal product today. The illicit trade in tobacco products is a multi-billion-dollar business, fuelling organised crime and corruption, as well as robbing governments of much-needed tax money.In Zambia, more than 400 million cigarettes a year enter the market illicitly smuggled, counterfeited or tax-evaded, accounting for 30% of the product on the market. Stemming the flow of illicit cigarettes on the market could help bridge the national budget deficit gap.
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2016/09/29/illicit-tobacco-trade-costs-zambia-k50-million-per-year/