Maha FDA raids five food units, seizes goods worth Rs 41 lakh.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raided five establishments dealing in food items, including edible oil, in Thane and Palghar districts and seized goods worth Rs 41.60 lakh for alleged violation of food safety standards, officials said on Sunday.
The raids were conducted by the Thane unit of the FDA on November 12 and 13 on four establishments in Thane district and one in Palghar, they said.
During the pre-Diwali operation, the FDA also destroyed some items that were unfit for human consumption.
“These establishments were found to be violating the FDA rules and regulations,” Joint Commissioner of FDA (Food) Konkan Division, S S Deshmukh, said.
During a raid at a unit in Haloli in Palghar, it was found that the establishment did not have a proper lab for testing cooking oil and it made use of used tins for packing the oil.
Oil worth Rs 8,16,749 was seized during that operation, he said.
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Chennai: 6.9 kg gold worth Rs 3.6 cr seized, 5 arrested including airport janitors
According to Officials, they had maintained a special vigil at the transit area, based on information regarding gold smuggling by a Dubai returnee on flight 6E 8497.
Air Customs officials have busted a smuggling racket that involved five contract staff who were providing housekeeping services at the Airport.
According to Officials, they had maintained a special vigil at the transit area, based on information regarding gold smuggling by a Dubai returnee on flight 6E 8497. On noticing a janitor entering the toilet in the transit area, officials followed him and caught him in the act of retrieving black bundles from a waste bin. On being cut open, three gold paste packets weighing 2 kg were recovered. 1.81 Kg of gold valued at Rs. 93.2 lakhs was recovered, extracted, and seized under Customs Act.
The suspect passenger who had carried the gold from Dubai was intercepted and identified as Sheikhussman,35, a Trichy native. When he received a call from an individual who had come to receive him, officials followed Sheikh to the area outside the airport and nabbed the person who had come to receive the smuggler. He was identified as one Syed Ibrahim Shah,21, of Chennai.
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In conversation with Prof Arun Kumar, Malcolm Adiseshiah Chair Professor, Institute of Social Sciences
November 13, 2020 |
Smuggling and counterfeiting which are termed as illicit trade is the world’s largest growing economic menace. Owing to its rather complex nature, its size is hard to determine. However, various estimates suggest that over the last ten years, the magnitude of illicit trade has grown from USD 650 billion to about USD 3 trillion, and this criminal activity represents 10 per cent of the global trade, being rightly termed by the FBI as the ‘crime of the 21st century’.
FICCI CASCADE organized an “In conversation with Prof Arun Kumar, Malcolm Adiseshiah Chair Professor, Institute of Social Sciences” on 13th November 2020. Conversation between Prof Kumar and Mr. Najib Shah, Former Chairman, CBIC and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE, was focused on the multifaceted aspects of illicit trade, understanding the risks caused by such activities and the remedial measures to contain the menace.
Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE in his remarks said that illicit trade is undeniably one of the greatest risks globally. Unfortunately, the problem has only compounded in the current COVID crisis, where criminals have used the pandemic as an opportunity to increase their nefarious activities, causing significant damage on the economy of the nation, health and safety of the consumers. There is a need to check and substantially reduce the illicit market operations and create a conducive environment for growth and development.
Structural changes, simple tax system and accountability at all levels will help in the reduction of black income, suggested Prof Arun Kumar while addressing the in-conversation series. A holistic view of black market is required, and it needs the involvement of law-and-order machinery. Prof Kumar added that the potential rate of growth of the economy in the absence of black money will be 5 % higher.
Mr. Najib Shah, Former Chairman, CBIC and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE said that the manifestation of black money in social, economic and political space of our lives has a debilitating effect on the institutions of governance and conduct of public policy in the country and the connection between black economy and illicit trade is also palpable. It is evident that the hazards of illicit trade are serious which needs to be dealt with sincere commitment leading to result-oriented effective steps addressing this challenge.
Mr. Arun Chawla, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI while delivering the concluding remarks said that in spite of several measures which are being undertaken by the government, steps are required, both in the form of policy intervention and awareness generation to combat the problem of illicit trade and the related underground economy. There is a need to work towards an effective strategy to strengthen our systems and increase enforcement against such mal- practices.
Counterfeit goods worth Kshs. 100M destroyed in Mombasa
Counterfeit goods worth Kshs 100 million have been destroyed in Changamwe, Mombasa County by a multi-agency team, comprising government agencies and intellectual property owners to curb the illicit trade.
Speaking during the exercise conducted Monday, the Chairperson of Anti Counterfeit Authority, Florah Mutahi said among the counterfeits destroyed included goods meant for the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, valued at Kshs. 25 million confiscated from unscrupulous traders.
The ACA chairperson observed a study carried out recently revealed that electrical goods account for the bigger percentage of counterfeits into the country.
Other contrabands included cables, shoes, clothes, stationery, construction materials, and chemicals, among others.
She observed that the destruction exercise was showcasing that the government is working towards zero tolerance to counterfeits and illegal goods altogether.
https://www.kbc.co.ke/counterfeit-goods-worth-kshs-100m-destroyed/
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Operation Thunder 2020: India Customs intercepts 18 tonnes red sandalwood
The India Customs intercepted an 18-tonne shipment of red sandalwood destined for the United Arab Emirates, during a month-long “Operation Thunder 2020”, coordinated by the Interpol and the World Customs Organisation, which involved law enforcement agencies in 103 countries.
The operation against environmental crime was held from September 14 to October 11. It resulted in large seizures of protected wildlife and forestry specimens and products, triggering arrests and investigations worldwide, said the Interpol. “Focusing on pre-identified routes and hotspots, ‘Operation Thunder 2020’ resulted in more than 2,000 seizures of wildlife and forestry products. In total, 699 offenders were apprehended and at least one Interpol Red Notice has already been requested based on information gained during the operation. Further arrests and prosecutions are anticipated as ongoing global investigations progress,” it said.
The participating countries focused mainly on the species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Mexican law enforcement rescued an adult female white tiger, a jaguar and a four-month old lion cub in Sinaloa. “In Cameroon, customs officers seized 187 raw elephant tusks from a truck crossing the border from Gabon. In total, 56,200 kg of marine products were seized during Operation Thunder 2020,” said the Interpol, adding that the Peruvian police seized a shipment of 11 tonnes of mutilated sharks.
Lear MoreMillions of fake cigarettes and 100kg of illegal tobacco seized as part of crackdown during Covid-19 pandemic.
Almost two million fake cigarettes and more than 100kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco have been seized across Greater Manchester during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The illegal tobacco industry, as well as the world of organised crime which feeds off it, has continued to thrive throughout lockdown.
All tobacco sold locally as ‘duty-free’ will almost certainly be illegal, enforcement officers in the city-region have warned.
But police and local authorities are fighting back to expose the illegal tobacco market in Greater Manchester by acting on intelligence provided by the public.
Between March and October this year trading standards were alerted to 207 reports of fake tobacco being sold across the conurbation.
Subsequent seizures by trading standards officers led to a bountiful haul of illicit goods, including the largest ever single seizure in Greater Manchester.
Lear MoreWest Bengal: Gold biscuits worth Rs 12 crore seized, 3 held
SILIGURI: A joint team of Darjeeling police and excise department arrested three persons with 130 gold biscuits at Chekurmai under Kharibari block on Bengal-Bihar border on Monday.
The haul, weighing over 21kg, is estimated to be worth more than Rs 12 crore.
The accused have been identified as Mumbai residents Shashikant Sankpal (29) and Anil Gumadi (40), and their Siliguri-based car driver Md Afroh. The three will be produced in court on Tuesday.
Darjeeling SP Santosh Nimbalkar said the arrest was made during a “normal nakabandi” on Bengal-Bihar border. “The gold biscuits precisely weigh 21.57kg. Each gold biscuit weighs around 166gm. The accused wi be produced in Siliguri court. Five mobile phones and some cash and documents have also been seized,” he added.
Sources in police said the biscuits had been smuggled into India through the Indo-Myanmarese border and were being taken to Bihar from Assam. The accused had booked a car from Siliguri to Chhapra.
Lear MoreMaharashtra: Counterfeit masks using leading brand’s name major concern for manufacturer; cases, raids in many cities
The issue of counterfeited masks holds public health concern. The masks seized during raids were made of inferior quality cloth with no quality checks to ensure they prevent exposure from virus.
One of India’s leading mask manufacturers Venus Safety and Health Private Ltd has issued at least 38 legal notices during the Covid-19 pandemic to owners of manufacturing units that produce counterfeit masks using the company’s brand name. As demand for masks continues in the pandemic, counterfeiting has remained an issue of concern.
“Everyone is making money in our name. The local manufacturer, distributor and retailer selling the mask,” said Mahesh Kudav, managing director of Venus. The company has registered seven cases where over 47,000 fake masks have been retrieved through police raids, and FIRs have been lodged across Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
Lear MoreMinneapolis customs officials seize $41,500 of counterfeit smartphone accessories
U.S. border officials say they confiscated more than $41,500 worth of counterfeit phone accessories from Hong Kong bound for a Minnesota recipient.
In a release Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the fake Apple and Samsung accessories were flagged by customs officials due to poor quality and incorrect packaging. CBP officials in Minneapolis inspected the shipment and found the items to be fake.
The items were labeled as Samsung phone cases, iPhone phone cases and iPhone adapters. If the merchandise was real, the total MSRP value would be $41,500.
“Substandard and illegal products harm the U.S. economy and the health and safety of consumers, in particular, the adapters can be exceptionally dangerous,” said Augustine Moore, Area Port Director-Minneapolis. “Once again our CBP officers at the Port of Minnesota have demonstrated their exceptional skill and superior commodity expertise.”
Lear MoreCoupang hit for selling fake luxury goods.
The country’s top online retailer Coupang has been hit for not properly monitoring the sales of fake luxury products on its platform.
The Korea Watch & Clock Industry Cooperative (KOWIC) filed a claim against Coupang for damages after small- and medium-sized companies suffered from flourishing fake Rolex sales there.
The cooperative body said 684 imitation luxury watches are sold on Coupang and their prices range from 200,000 won to 300,000 won. Prices for an original entry-level Rolex watch start at 10 million won.
“The current law only punishes dealers who sell fake products and not the retailers including Coupang. This system is only hurting small- and medium-sized firms here that are making watches fair and square,” KOWIC wrote in a press release.
KOWIC said local fashion watchmakers selling products in the same price range as the fake luxury watches lost billions of won due to counterfeiting.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2020/11/694_298851.html
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