US Senate makes July counterfeit awareness month
The US Senate has passed a resolution declaring July the national anti-counterfeit awareness month.
The move has been welcomed by the International Trademark Association (INTA), which said that educating the public about the potential harms of counterfeiting “is critically important to the efforts of policymakers, law enforcement, brand owners and consumer groups to eradicate counterfeit goods from the marketplace.”
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40 pc fake pesticides being used in country: Study
Illiteracy and unawareness of farmers accompanied by bizmen’s lack of scientific technology and negative market system is responsible for usage of almost forty per cent of spurious pesticides in the country resulting in adverse impact not only on the crop production but it also causes environmental degradation. According to industry sources, in the financial year 2014 , forty per cent of the total pesticides sold were fake.The products are of poor quality and are not capable of killing insects and pests.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20160724/2905734.html
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Gang jailed for smuggling Cigarettes
Customs officers seized 3,268,200 Pride brand cigarettes – a brand not available in the UK – from a storage unit in Bolton.
Members of an illegal cigarettes gang who cheated the taxman out of almost £760,000 have been jailed. Customs officers seized 3,268,200 Pride brand cigarettes – a brand not available in the UK – from a storage unit in Bolton.
Most were found hidden in metal pipes in a freight consignment.
HM Revenue and Customs uncovered a central storage unit on Hacken Lane, in Bolton, in April. Some of the gang were found at the unit at the time.
Officers identified a number of vehicles being used to transport illegal cigarettes around the North West. These vehicles were observed travelling to and from the commercial unit in Bolton.
DTI has no jurisdiction over fake cigarettes
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has no jurisdiction over the fake cigarettes that have reportedly entered Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.
Reginald Hudierez of the Enforcement and Confiscation Division of DTI-Negros Occidental said in a telephone interview that circulation of fake or counterfeit products considered criminal offense falls under the jurisdiction of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Cigarettes are not basic necessity and prime commodity, which are covered by the DTI.
Lear MoreSalford man amongst gang jailed for smuggling £760k cigarettes
Seven men who attempted to steal almost £760,000 in tax by selling illegal cigarettes, were jailed this week at Manchester Crown Court.
The men, one of whom is from Swinton, were linked to the crime after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uncovered their central storage unit in Bolton and caught some of the gang there in April 2014.
Lear MoreCounterfeit make-up
WE all want to look beautiful and presentable. Cosmetics can be a quick an easy way to temporarily solve beauty problems of an individual. For that, most people don’t mind spending money on cosmetics which has made the cosmetic and make-up business a multi-billion dollar industry. However, not all consumers know that fake or counterfeit make-up are being sold in the marketplace. What is damaging is the fact that consumers use it without knowing the risks it poses as these counterfeit products are loaded with toxic and harmful chemicals.
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Smuggled cigarettes causing Rs24b loss
Pakistan is losing billions of rupees in annual excise revenue due to large scale and organised smuggling of internationally popular cigarette brands into Pakistan via Afghanistan.
A report by Tobacco Farmers Welfare Association (TFWA) estimates an annual loss in revenue of more than Rs24 billion due to illicit cigarette trade.
The use of smuggled brands like Benson & Hedges, Dunhill, Marlboro, Pine etc. is increasing among Pakistani youth. And while big tobacco firms continue to augment their revenues, Pakistan is suffering major economic losses.
http://nation.com.pk/business/22-Jul-2016/smuggled-cigarettes-causing-rs24b-loss
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Consumers group calls for ‘all-out war’ against smuggling
A consumers’ group has called for an “all-out war” against smuggling, saying it has a dire effect on the poorest members of the population “just like illegal drugs.”
Rodolfo “RJ” Javellana Jr., president of the civil society group United Filipino Consumers & Commuters (UFCC), said smuggling undermined state authority and government-led development by fueling corruption and hurting the economy.
“This in turn affects the livelihood opportunities and quality of life of Filipinos, especially the poor,” Javellana said in a statement.
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iBan? Iran wants to put an end to iPhone smuggling by banning product altogether
Regardless of whether it’s through the use of Twinkies boxes, slingshots, crossbows, or even your own body, iPhone smuggling is a real issue in several parts of the world. One of those areas appears to be Iran, which threatened Apple with an iPhone ban in the hope of curbing smuggling, according to Japan Times.
Similar to India, Apple does not officially sell iPhones in Iran, even though the company is reportedly in negotiations to change that. Even so, 40 million Iranians are reported to use smartphones, with millions of iPhones said to be smuggled into the country.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/iban-iran-wants-put-end-003517133.html
Lear MoreDRI seizes red sanders worth over Rs 8 crore in multiple raids across Mumbai
According to sources, a part of the consignment of red sanders seized by the agency was allegedly being smuggled from NhavaSheva port in Navi Mumbai to Dubai using forged shipping documents.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 21.3 tonnes of red sanders worth over Rs 8 crore from a repeat offender in multiple raids across the city, said official sources.
According to sources, a part of the consignment of red sanders seized by the agency was allegedly being smuggled from NhavaSheva port in Navi Mumbai to Dubai using forged shipping documents. The consignment originated from Pelhar-Palghar region of Thane district, the sources said.
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