CI, MCCS To Conduct Joint Anti-Smuggling Operations
Islamabad—In an attempt to crush cross-border smuggling, Customs Intelligence (CI) and Model Customs Collectorate (MCCs) have decided to launch joint operations.
Sources privy to current development told Pakistan Observer that following the guidelines of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the both institutions Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Model Customs Collectorates (MCCs) in future will conduct joint operations to eliminate the illegal supply of goods in Pakistan from Afghanistan.
UK Recovers GBP 1.6 Billion From Smugglers
The rapidly growing tax burdens on alcohol and tobacco are fuelling mass smuggling in the UK, although efforts by tax authorities are helping to bring a significant portion of the contraband back into the tax net. Investigations into smuggling of tobacco and cigarettes in the UK in 2015 led to the recovery of GBP 1.63 billion in taxes, according to the results of new research completed by the UK accounting firm UHY Hacker Young.
The amount of taxes collected from uncovered smuggling operations in 2015 is 6 percent higher than in the previous year.
http://www.taxationinfonews.com/2016/03/uk-recovers-gbp-1-6-billion-from-smugglers/
Lear More
Has your business been duped by counterfeit tech goods?
While fake consumer goods hit the headlines, products from all sectors of technology can be counterfeited with widespread implications for businesses. Pirated goods, knock off, counterfeits – fake products are dangerous, whatever term we use to describe them. Violations against Intellectual Property are increasing and with every bogus product that hits the market, the risk of damage to people and to enterprise grows. Consumer electronics are heavily affected by trade in fake products. Counterfeiting of iPhones is rampant in China, such that police in Beijing last year shut down a counterfeit manufacturing operation and seized more than 40,000 fake iPhones valued at more than £13 million.
How things have changed thanks to the nanny state
I HAD to smile at the headline ‘Investigators smoking out smuggled tobacco’ March 26. I can only hope they have more success than their predecessors of the 1980s. As a small local cigarette vending company owner in Derby Street and dealing with many well known pubs and clubs in the Bolton area, it became apparent that cigarette and hand rolling tobacco smuggling was becoming an increasing problem to the Revenue.
The VAT and Revenue furnished many legitimate tobacco and alcohol wholesalers and retails with an information telephone number to report any suspicions of any pubs or clubs selling such products under the counter.
Bulgarian tobacco firm to halt exports to Middle East after smuggling claims
Bulgarian tobacco company Bulgartabac said it would halt sales to the Middle East as of April 1, following media allegations its products made up a large part of the cigarettes illegally smuggled into neighboring Turkey.Bulgartabac denied any wrongdoing, adding its exports had been carried out in full compliance with customs and trade legislation, which had been confirmed by customs and tax audits. “Given the sensitive situation in the Middle East, Bulgartabac is stopping exports to the region in order to prevent the involvement of the company in artificially created reputation problems that couldcompletely ruin it,” Bulgartabac said in a statement.
Authorities foil attempt to smuggle 3 tons of tobacco into Gaza
The security guards at the Sha’ar Ephraim crossing between Gaza and Israel, along with security guards from the Tax Authority, prevented an attempt to smuggle three tons of tobacco into Gaza.
The tobacco originated in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and was hidden in solar panels.
Tax Authority agents confiscated the contraband and have opened an investigation into those involved in the smuggling attempt.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/354640#.Vu_aNtJ97IU
Lear MoreNigeria jails 14 foreigners for oil smuggling
Lagos – A Nigerian court on Friday jailed 14 foreign sailors from Russia, Ukraine, Philippine and Japan between two and five years for unlawful dealing in petroleum products in the country.
The federal high court in Lagos found the suspects guilty of illegally transporting 1 738 tons of crude oil and some 4 500 tons of petrol, also called gasoline, in their vessel MT Anukpet Emerald.
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/nigeria-jails-14-foreigners-for-oil-smuggling-20160318
Lear More
$1300 Apple iPhone 6s Converted into a “Pear iPhone”
There’s a reason why you should be shopping online only from popular and trusted websites, or you might end up with a defective or fake product. And that happens often. A Chinese woman ordered an Apple iPhone 6s online, and what she received was a Pear Phone!Identified by surname Zhao, the woman believed that she had bought an Apple iPhone 6s, but when she received the product, she discovered that it was a Pear Phone instead. According to NetEase, Zhao discovered a fantastic deal online and bought the fake iPhone 6s for $525 (3,400 RMB).
Zhao then received a message from the scammer that her iPhone had been confiscated by the customs authorities and she needed to pay $772 (5,000 RMB) more for retrieving the product. The scammer assured Zhao that the customs duty would be refunded completely after she had received the product.
http://www.mobipicker.com/1300-apple-iphone-6s-converted-into-pear-phone/
Lear MoreChiz: Protect our farmers, stop agri products smuggling
VICE presidential candidate Senator Francis Escudero has urged the government to protect local farmers and “fight the influx” of cheap agricultural products smuggled into the country.Escudero said that he and his presidential running mate, Senator Grace Poe, will push for additional P300 billion in funds for the agriculture sector, if they win the elections on May 9.He cited the need to increase funding for agriculture to boost the industry battered by high cost of production, extreme weather condition and poor support services from the government.
http://www.journal.com.ph/news/top-stories/chiz-protect-our-farmers-stop-agri-products-smuggling
Lear MoreNorth Korean counterfeit cigarette trade faces squeeze
Stepped up U.N. sanctions against North Korea could put a crimp on an important source of foreign exchange for the secretive communist state: illicit cigarettes.Port officials in Manila and Malta have at least twice in the past two and a half years seized shipments of North Korean cigarettes that camouflaged millions of high-quality counterfeit Marlboros with packaging and markings like those prepared for legal sale in Iraq.Under a United Nations resolution adopted March 2 in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear and rocket tests, member states are required to inspect all cargo headed to and from the country to check for contraband goods.
Lear More