Federal prison nurse sentenced for $22,000 tobacco-smuggling scheme
A former nurse at the federal prison in Lexington was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison for smuggling tobacco into the prison in exchange for payments from inmates. Michael Hardin, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Danny Reeves on a charge of bribery of a public official. Under federal law, Hardin must serve the entire sentence, then and three years of supervised release, the first year of which is home detention.
Hardin was a registered nurse at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington.
According to his plea agreement, from July 2014 to August 2015, Hardin smuggled cigarettes, snuff and chewing tobacco into the prison for inmates, who paid him a total of $22,429 in return. The inmates used relatives and friends to send money to Hardin.
http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article69196947.html
Lear MoreEU agreements to fight cigarette smuggling
An idea regarding an upcoming European Parliament meeting. MEPs will quiz the Commission on the four agreements currently in force between the EU and Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Imperial Tobacco Limited (ITL) and British American Tobacco (BAT) to fight cigarette smuggling. Members will ask for an assessment, including the possible financial implications, and will question whether these agreements should be prolonged. The agreement with PMI is due to expire in July 2016.
We can attend the Parliament meeting and get all the details. Is it likely that MEPs will extend the agreement? If it is, and if it is not, how will this affect the European tobacco industry?
http://www.internationalnewsservices.com/stories-for-sale/38224-2
Lear MoreDozens arrested in international smuggling, money laundering ring
Police arrested nearly 60 people Wednesday in Quebec and Ontario as they broke up an international money laundering ring.
In what the Sureté du Quebec is calling Operation Tarantula (Mygale), officers have spent months investigating an organized crime ring spanning North America, South America, and Europe.
It culminated in 70 raids Wednesday in Ste. Therese, St. Marthe sur le lac, in the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, and in other areas near Montreal.
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/dozens-arrested-in-international-smuggling-money-laundering-ring-1.2837711
Interpol cracks down on fake liquor, tainted food products
A global police crackdown has seized over 10,000 tons of illicit or dangerous food and drink including monkey meat, dead insects and fake sugar spiked with fertilizer, the European police agency said Wednesday. In Italy, officers seized 85 tons of olives “painted with copper sulphate to enhance their color,” while British police recovered nearly 10,000 liters of fake or adulterated alcohol, including wine, whisky and vodka. The raids were carried out as part of Operation Opson V, which involved law enforcement from 57 countries as well as global policing agency Interpol and its EU counterpart, Europol said in a statement.
Police target contraband tobacco, drugs and money laundering in mass arrests in Quebec and Ontario
The Surete du Quebec say nearly 60 arrests were made Wednesday morning targeting biker gangs and what they’re calling Aboriginal organized crime outfits on charges of selling contraband tobacco, drugs and money laundering. Raids took place in residences and shops, mainly located in the greater Montreal, the Laurentians, Lanaudiere, Monteregie and on Kahnawake in Quebec, as well as on Six Nations in Ontario.
“Project Mygale is the largest ever made to date in America on tobacco smuggling, but also on cross-border crime between Canada and the United States,” said Capt. Frederick Gaudreau of the Surete du Quebec.
NASCAR’s Derek White Targeted in North America’s Largest Tobacco Smuggling Bust
If you thought the days of professional racers moonlighting in the illicit transportation industry were over, boy were you wrong: Bloomberg reports that NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Derek White was named by Quebec and Ontario police as one of 60 people involved in the single largest tobacco-smuggling bust in North American history. Sheesh.
According to Canadian authorities, White is alleged to be one of the top-ranking members of a huge smuggling operation. The tightly controlled ring purchased shipments of tobacco leaf from North Carolina and spirited them into Canada without paying the necessary import taxes.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a28662/derek-white-nascar-tobacco-smuggling/
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NAFDAC destroys N1bn fake products in Ogun
Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake and unwholesome products worth more than N1 billion in Ogun state, west of the country.
The products destroyed included expired products which were said to have been voluntarily handed over by compliant companies in the country.Other products destroyed were fake and counterfeit drugs, prohibited substandard and expired food products, cosmetics and other regulated products.
http://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2016/03/nafdac-destroys-n1bn-fake-products-in-ogun/
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NAFDAC destroys N1bn fake products
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday destroyed fake and unwholesome products worth more than N1 billion in Ogun State. The products destroyed included expired products which were said to have been voluntarily handed over by compliant companies in the country.
Other products destroyed were fake and counterfeit drugs, prohibited substandard and expired food products, cosmetics and other regulated products.
These were seized by the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC in Lagos State and environs from manufacturers and importers as well as distributors.
Former butcher got his nickname from lucrative cigarette smuggling racket
Duggan had originally been a butcher before opting to get involved in organised crime, specialising in smuggling and fencing stolen goods. Duggan gained his nickname and became a millionaire because of his massive involvement in cigarette smuggling.
He was for many years classified as a member of the criminal gang centred around ‘The Monk’, who masterminded some of the country’s biggest robberies.
Duggan had also been involved in laundering money for the gang by buying up several properties around the city.
Vinataba: cigarette smuggling continues
Sumatra said that the National Office for Intellectual Property (NOIP) has granted 67 certificates on trademark certificates for two cigarette products to Sumatra since 1990. In reply, Tran Son Chau, CEO of Vinataba, said on December 4, 11 and 24, NOIP released 46 notices, informing Vinataba that Sumatra had not provided any additional document related to the suspension/cancelation of the validity for 46 trademarks. “As such, regarding the 46 trademarks, Sumatra cannot refute our argument that Sumatra has not used the trademarks for the last five years,” Chau said.
“On December 25 and 29, 2015, we filed 46 documents to NOIP, requesting the office to cancel and abrogate the validity of the trademarks,” he said.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/152585/vinataba–cigarette-smuggling-continues.html
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