Webinar on Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond-Be Vocal for Local and Prevent Illicit Trade
31/03/2021
Counterfeit and smuggled goods have infiltrated everyday avenues of commerce, making their way into supply chains and consumers’ homes. The rise of smuggled and counterfeit products threatens manufacturers’ competitiveness, undermines consumer confidence, and poses a threat to individuals’ health and safety. While the centre and state governments have been playing a proactive role in dealing with this issue, FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) has also been highlighting the ill effects of this adversary and eliciting response from stakeholders to concertedly address this problem especially during the current times. It is with the above background that FICCI CASCADE organized a webinar on ‘Combating Counterfeit and Smuggled and Pirated goods During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond’, on 31st March 2021 focusing on the State of Telangana. The webinar was a part of a series of such events which are being organised across the country as part of a nation-wide awareness campaign to highlight the issue and focus on the growing menace of illegal trade.
Mr. T. Muralidharan, Chairman, FICCI Telangana State Council & Chairman, TMI Group welcomed the dignitaries and during his address, said, “Discussions on combating smuggling and counterfeiting are even more important in the context of COVID19 which is impacting the economy and is endangering lives of people. Illicit trade adversely impacts the manufacturing strength of the nation and if not checked will act as barrier to the government’s vision of making India a global manufacturing hub”. Mr Muralidharan also suggested that the crimes pertaining to counterfeiting should be treated as cases of revenue evasion and not only as a consumer protection and quality issue. Moreover, colluders including the retailers should be treated like counterfeiters. It will be also important that one should name and shame the colluders and report them to the GST and IT authorities. This will prove to be a bigger deterrent than consumer court actions. Today most consumers believe that counterfeiting happens at a small scale and hence it is not seen as a serious issue while buying. Reports being published regularly reports on the scale of the menace with statistics will help in generating greater public awareness.
Mr. Anil Sinha, Former Director, CBI and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE in his address emphasized on the need for policies and regulations which disincentivizes such illegal activities. He suggested the need for a nodal agency comprising of representatives from different government departments to ensure coordinated actions against this menace. He informed that FICCI CASCADE had recently recommended to the Govt. of India for setting up of an umbrella body i.e., a multi-agency centre to ensure proper coordination amongst the concerned Ministries/Departments/Enforcement agencies to address the problems arising out of Illicit trade. This nodal agency could share intelligence and enhance cooperation among national and international bodies. Further, it could make policy recommendations and build capacities to address the menace of counterfeiting and smuggling.
The webinar was also addressed by industry leaders – Mr. Milind Palany, Global Brand Protection Lead – India & South Asia, Johnson & Johnson: Mr. Amit Bhasin, General Manager, Legal- Customer Development and Corporate Secretarial, Hindustan Unilever Ltd.; and Mr Devendra Surana, Managing Director, Bhagyanagar India Ltd. They emphasized that the illicit trade problem has only compounded in the pandemic situation with criminals using it as an opportunity to cause significant damage on the economy of the nation, health, and safety of the consumers. All the speakers underlined the need for safeguarding the consumers’ health and safety, and the interest of genuine businesses, while promoting indigenous production should be a fundamental strategy to India’s growth and development.
Coverage reportDownload Pdf
25 kg gold worth Rs 11.63 cr seized in Hyderabad, 3 held
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Zonal Unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday arrested three persons for smuggling 25 kg of gold bars worth Rs 11. 63 crore from Hyderabad to Chennai by car. According to DRI officials, they intercepted an ISUZU car (SUV) in the early hours of Wednesday at Panthangi Toll Plaza. The SUV, bearing an Assam registration number, had travelled more than 2,500 km from Guwahati to Hyderabad. On detailed inspection of the car, 25 kg of foreign marked 1 kg gold bars of four different companies such as Heareus, Suisse, Melter Assayer and Valcambi were recovered from a specially-made orifice inside the car.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the smuggled gold was handed over in Guwahati to be delivered in Chennai. For the past few days, DRI officials have cracked the whip on gold smuggling gangs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). It was stated that the officers obtained leads from some passengers and then conducted raids at the toll-plaza at Panthangi.
Lear More
Assam Rifles recovers smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 65 lakh, nabs 1 in Mizoram
In their continued efforts against smuggling activities, the Assam Rifles troops on Friday recovered 50 cases of smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes in the Rauntlang area of Mizoram.
The operation was carried out by the Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East) jointly with 20 FIT and Customs department, based on specific information.
It is estimated that the recovered smuggled foreign-origin cigarettes will Rs 65 lakh in the international market. The Customs Preventive Force at Champhai seized the contraband items, Assam Rifles said in a statement.
Ongoing smuggling of drugs is a major cause of concern for Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of Northeast’ has continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram.
Meanwhile, the Lunglei Battalion of Headquarter 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarter IGAR (East), conducted a lecture on ‘Career Counselling’ at Tuipang on Friday.
Lear More
Massive liquor haul in Bihar: Ahead of Holi, cops seize 1,300 cartons of alcohol in dry state
Patna: Ahead of Holi, the Bihar Police seized a consignment of 1300 cartons of liquor in the Vaishali district of the state. The contraband was seized by the cops on Friday. Reportedly, the consignment included around 12,000 litres of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL).
The alcohol was confiscated from two vehicles from Lalganj and Sadar police station. It is said to be worth Rs 1 crore. The first consignment consisted of 5,900 litres of IMFL.
It was seized near Langri-Pakad village on state highway – 74 when training deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and station house officer (SHO) of Lalganj police station, Viplav Kumar, seized a truck. The driver of the truck and the smuggler managed to flee from the spot.
Another container carrying 5,800 litres of IMFL was seized on Hajipur – Mahua state highway – 49. As per the cops, IMFL is smuggled into the state of Bihar from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, Hindustan Times reported.
Lear More
Customs foil gold smuggling attempt at Hyderabad airport
Hyderabad: The customs officials on Saturday detained a passenger for attempting to smuggle gold in paste form.
The passenger was detained when he arrived from Sharjah by flight G9458 with 672 grams of gold paste concealed in his specially designed slippers. Officials said the total net gold valued at Rs.27.4 lakh was extracted and the passenger was detained.
In another case, the customs officials booked cases against four passengers arriving from Sharjah by 6E-1406 for smuggling gold. The gold cut pieces were hid in the mouth of the passengers.
As many as 471 grams of gold valued at Rs.20.67 lakh was seized from the four passengers.
https://telanganatoday.com/customs-foil-gold-smuggling-attempt-at-hyderabad-airport
Lear More
Mumbai Crime: Businessman nabbed in foreign cigarette smuggling case
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday arrested entrepreneur Harpreet Singh Talwar aka Kabir, a very prominent name in the clubbing business, in a case of smuggling foreign cigarettes worth Rs 3.24 crore. He was arrested from the Mumbai airport in the matter which was detected in January this year.
Confirming the development, a DRI officer told mid-day. “He was arrested on Thursday in a cigarette smuggling case and has been remanded in judicial custody.” In January the DRI had seized foreign brand cigarettes worth R3.24 crore from a container at the Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai. The cigarettes were concealed in women’s footwear.
According to the officers, around 18 lakh Gundang Garam cigarette sticks were smuggled into India through an import container from Dubai. The container had an import-export code from the Director General of Foreign Trade. Initially, the officers found women’s footwear in the consignment but while examining the same they recovered the cigarettes.
Lear More
Woman Hides 2.41 Kg Gold Worth Rs 1.1 Crore in Undergarment, Nabbed at Mangaluru Airport
Mangaluru: Every now and then, we hear stories of how drug traffickers and smugglers around the world adopt unique yet bizarre ways to smuggle illegal things from one place to another. Now, in a similar incident, customs officials at the Mangaluru International Airport on Thursday seized 2.41 kg gold, valued at around Rs 1.10 crore, from a woman passenger who had concealed the yellow metal in her undergarments. She was nabbed by the Customs officials after she arrived here from Dubai in an Air India flight.
According to a release, the accused has been identified as Mohammed Ali Sameera from Kasaragod in Kerala. The statement added that the accused “tried to smuggle gold by concealing it in both her inner garments, including sanitary pads, and also in her socks.”
She was also carrying foreign brand cigarettes in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, which were seized from her possession. The team which seized the gold was led by Kapil Gade, Deputy Commissioner, Air Customs, Mangaluru, the release said, adding that an investigation is on.
Lear More
BSF seizes 1kg gold from Kaijuri, one held
BSF jawans nabbed a civic police volunteer from Kaijuri in North 24-Parganas on Thursday for allegedly smuggling gold into Bangladesh.
The Border Security Force seized around 1kg (998 grams) of gold from the accused civic police volunteer, Mofijur Rehman, 32, who is attached to Swarupnagar police station in North 24-Parganas.
A BSF spokesperson for south Bengal frontier in Calcutta put the approximate market value of the seized gold at around Rs 47.10 lakh.
Mofijur, a resident of Chithuri-Balti village in Swarupnagar, was handed over to customs authorities at Tentulia and later to police who registered his arrest and began a probe.
BSF sources said after receiving a tip-off from the intelligence wing of the border force, a surveillance team of the 153 battalion intercepted Mofijur as he was approaching the Bangladesh border near Kaijuri riding a motorcycle.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bsf-seizes-1kg-gold-from-kaijuri-one-held/cid/1809217
Lear More
Illicit liquor worth Rs 21L seized in Hapur as UP cracks whip against smuggling
Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur police seized a shipment of illicit liquor worth Rs 21 lakh from a truck heading from Punjab to Kolkata in poll-bound West Bengal on Thursday.
The seizure was made at a time when the UP government has stepped up measures to curb distillation and sale of illicit liquor and smuggling of English wine in areas adjoining Delhi and Haryana in view of the forthcoming festival of Holi and the panchayat elections in the state.
According to Hapur police, three suspects following the truck in a car with Punjab registration number plates were arrested. The truck driver fled leaving the vehicle behind. The liquor was hidden under a consignment of spare parts of 300 new bicycles.
During initial interrogation, the suspects revealed that the truck was loaded with bicycle spare parts in Ludhiana in Punjab and later, the illicit liquor was hidden underneath it to avoid suspicion.
The demand for liquor has shot up, said additional chief secretary of excise Sanjay R Bhoosreddy. In fact, the state excise department has already earned Rs 218 crore in excess by February-end this year in comparison to the previous financial year.
Lear More
Air India staffers held for abetting gold smuggling at Kempegowda International Airport
BENGALURU: Two Air India employees — ground staff at Kempegowda International Airport — were nabbed on charges of abetting gold smuggling from the Gulf.
One of them, a 22-year-old woman, was caught on Wednesday while she was picking up smuggled gold paste worth Rs 40 lakh from two passengers. She was to hand over the paste to two gang members waiting outside the airport. All the suspects are from Malayamma in Kozhikode.
KIA officials said the gold smuggling nexus with Air India contract staff came to light after Emirates flight EK 564 from Dubai landed at KIA on Wednesday morning. A couple alighted from the flight with nearly 1kg of gold paste and before heading for Customs, met the woman AI staffer inside the terminal.
The trio admitted to the smuggling to an Air Intelligence Unit team and the AI woman employee said two men were waiting outside the airport to collect the paste. Customs sleuths in the guise of smugglers met the two near the parking area and apprehended them.
Lear More