Delhi smugglers exploit dry lockdown: Illicit booze biz booms on high demand
On May 1, the Delhi Police arrested two men in Dwarka for smuggling hundreds of bottles of liquor in a vehicle laden with cucumber. On April 16, two men were caught transporting 25 boxes of illicit liquor in an ambulance in Chhawla. On April 5, a man was held near South Avenue Road with liquor bottles hidden inside milk containers. All these men had UP and Haryana connections.
The Delhi government is set to open at least 400 standalone liquor shops in non-hotspot areas on Monday when the third phase of the nationwide lockdown begins for two more weeks.
But the challenge also remains to crack down against inter-state smugglers and city bootleggers spreading their network and exploiting demands that have been spiralling amid Covid-19 curbs.
On Saturday, Delhi’s Excise Department asked four government agencies to immediately submit a list of liquor shops which conform to the Union Home Ministry’s relaxation criteria for the next phase of the lockdown allowing some non-essential standalone outlets to open.
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Webinar on ‘Proactive Role of the Judiciary within the existing legal framework to combat economic offences such as counterfeiting and smuggling’ , New Delhi
01/05/2020 | New Delhi
An independent judiciary is one of the democratic pillars of the Indian constitution that plays a pivotal part as an interpreter of law to combat economic crimes such as counterfeiting and smuggling. Such crimes negatively impact legitimate economic activity and facilitate an underground economy and organized crime that deprives governments of revenues for vital public services, forces higher burdens on taxpayers, dislocates hundreds of thousands of legitimate jobs and exposes consumers to dangerous and ineffective products. It is imperative that the judiciary takes a wider vision which can comprehend the impact of such crimes on national economy, health and safety of the citizens and prevent the resultant damage to industry.
The cases related to economic offences such as counterfeiting and smuggling are on the rise, more so in the current COVID crisis, where illicit trading activities tend to gain momentum as illegal operators and infringers take advantage to push their products for consumption in times of such emergencies. With the above in mind, FICCI CASCADE organised a webinar to discuss the ‘Proactive Role of the Judiciary within the existing legal framework to combat economic offences such as counterfeiting and smuggling’ on May 1, 2020.
“A way to address the menace of economic crimes could be a coordination agency at national level which could also include cybercrime and online counterfeiting. This would also assist in data management and dissemination to ground level”, said Hon’ble Ms. Justice Prathiba M Singh, Judge, Delhi High Court, chief guest at the programme. Justice Singh shared the challenges of online counterfeiting and piracy such as user anonymity, statutory harbors, changing URLs, territorial limitation etc. She also informed that since economic offences hinder economic progress, the custom authorities have strengthened their import rules and courts are also very strict with such cases.
Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE said that counterfeiting, smuggling and piracy have emerged as the likely sources for financing of international terrorist organizations, non-state sponsored terrorist organizations and domestic terrorist groups. “Judiciary has to play a more proactive role in combating this menace so that the people who indulge in these unscrupulous activities will get stringent punishment,” he added.
Mr. Arun Chawla, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI, while opening the discussion, said that the laws were there; the need was for a proactive and tactful judiciary to handle such issues with competence, promptness and firmness. Although we have a vibrant judiciary which is enforcing the laws and protecting the rights of the citizen, huge pendency of cases in courts, lack of proper infrastructure and shortage of judges has always been a matter of concern.
Mr. Ranjan Narula, Managing Partner, RNA, Technology and IP Attorneys, emphasized on designing solutions based on business objectives. Appreciating the judicial system for its pro-activeness, Mr. Narula said that judiciary has given a simple mechanism for dealing with cases related to counterfeiting and has very well shaped the laws for it. However, he stressed on the need for better enforcement actions from the police on such matters.
Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE, in his concluding remarks, added that the menace of counterfeiting and smuggling was growing rapidly. Every effort, therefore, needs to be made to examine how these activities can be curbed with the help of Governments at the center and state, along with support of the enforcement agencies.
Through this initiative FICCI CASCADE sensitized over 100 students of reputed law schools and several legal practitioners across India on the issues and challenges in resolving economic disputes related to counterfeiting and smuggling. The webinar concluded with the idea that exchange of intelligence and information is fundamental to collaboratively combat illicit trade. Since the unprecedented situation of COVID 19 has elevated this problem, need for effective enforcement of laws is vital.
Customs foils bid to smuggle in nine million sticks of cigarettes
The Royal Malaysian Customs Department thwarted an attempt to smuggle in nine million sticks of white cigarettes worth RM720,000, which carried taxes of RM5.7 million, at the North Port of Port Klang yesterday.
Its assistant director-general Datuk Zulkurnain Mohamed Yusuf said acting on a tip-off and surveillance, a team of enforcement officers from Central Zone Unit II (Selangor) went to the port at 12.30pm and checked a 40 sq ft container declared as containing floor mats and bath towels.
“From the inspection, an amount of white cigarettes were found hidden behind sacks of goods which were declared to deceive the Customs authorities,” he said in a statement here today.
Zulkurnain said the modus operandi of the importer or agent was to place the big gunny sacks containing floor mats in the front of the container to hide the boxes of white cigarettes at the back portion, in a bid to evade detection by the authorities.
https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/customs-foils-bid-smuggle-nine-million-sticks-cigarettes
Lear MoreOne arrested, two booked for smuggling liquor in Covid-19 hotspots
A man in his thirties was arrested and two others booked by the Phase 2 police in two separate incidents of smuggling imported alcohol. Two cars were also recovered and have been seized.
According to police, a Maruti Ertiga was stopped and checked near sector 93A during routine checking in hotspot zones of the district on Sunday evening. The driver was carrying three bottles of imported scotch, above the permissible limit for
The sale of liquor is banned in the state during the ongoing lockdown. As per rules, the permissible liquor limit for people in Uttar Pradesh is 1.5 litres IMFL, 1.5 litres country-made liquor and four bottles of beer.
“When questioned, he confessed that he was taking the liquor for a resident of Eldeco Utopia in Sector 93A, which is a hot spot in red zone and is sealed. After a while he got spooked and ran away, leaving the car and the liquor. The house of the man who had ordered the liquor was also searched but the suspect was nowhere to be found,” said Farmood Ali Pundir, station house offier, Phase 2 police station.
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Meghalaya: Government vehicle caught while smuggling illicit liquor during lockdown
In a major embarrassment for the establishment, South West Garo Hills police apprehended a government vehicle while it was illegally ferrying illicit country made liquor on Friday night (April 24).
The vehicle, belonging to the agriculture department in Tura, also had a car pass for the current lockdown making the act even more amplified in terms of impact.
As per information from SWGH police, the vehicle had 4 people travelling within with all of them being later released on a PR bond. Among the detainees, only the driver of the vehicle was an employee of the Agriculture department posted in Tura in West Garo Hills.
The liquor, locally known as ‘poteka’ or local moonshine is made from jaggery and was being ferried in the truck when it was stopped. The vehicle was allegedly being misused by the people involved, who were supplying and selling the drink to people in and around Tura.
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Webinar on ‘Protecting your Brand on E-Commerce Platforms – Battling the Odds Amid COVID-19 Pandemic’
24/04/2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the dangers posed by illicit trade. It calls for greater focus on addressing the growing hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling which are severely impacting the economy and endangering lives of consumers. With the current unpredictable situation, along with the commercial predicament, the need for protecting consumers and brand identities have become more important than ever before.
In the present scenario, with the physical brand protection efforts of industry, enforcement officials and government authorities minimized, winning back control of the online space, which could be hijacked by counterfeiters, has become increasingly important. With a view to deliberate on this issue, FICCI CASCADE organized a Webinar on ‘Protecting your Brand on E-Commerce Platforms: Battling the Odds Amid COVID-19 Pandemic’ on April 24, 2020.
The webinar had representatives from Amazon and over 70 industry delegates from India and across the globe participating in the deliberations. The focus was on discussing anti-counterfeiting strategies that would not only protect brands and consumers, but also deter illicit operators taking advantage of the pandemic.
Mr. Arun Chawla, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI, while welcoming the participants said that “E-commerce in India has seen a phenomenal growth over the years. From USD 39 billion in 2017, it is projected to rise to USD 200 billion by 2026. While the e-commerce services will grow, this growth will come with a set of challenges. The coronavirus epidemic has presented fresh challenges for the Indian economy, causing severe disruptive impact on both demand and supply side elements. Given the spike in consumer demand and the corresponding shortage of supplies from legitimate sources, it is imperative that businesses take steps to protect consumers from the proliferation of scammers and infringers that seek to take advantage of the crisis”.
Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, in his address, highlighted that “while the sale of counterfeit and smuggled goods in the physical world is rampant and causing enough grief to industry, consumers and government, the size of illicit trade is estimated to be 3.3% of the global trade. The online counterfeiting ecosystem offers distinctive challenges that require a unique online approach”. Mr. Jha also indicated that criminals were seizing on the opportunity by taking advantage of the high demand for products and it was imperative that enforcement authorities were taking preventive initiatives.
The webinar was also addressed by Mr. Amaresh Kumar, Additional Commissioner, GST Policy, who stated that “the measures like the waiver of penalty, late fee and interest on GST will help the industry to tide through this tough phase”. He also invited suggestions from industry members on issues relating to GST and areas that required policy interventions.
Ms. Kaleigh Miller, Global Brand Relations Lead, Amazon, gave an overview of Amazon’s brand protection efforts globally. She informed that over 2.5 million bad-actor accounts have been stopped before they published a single listing on the site, highlighting the many measures taken by Amazon to detect the potential infringements and related remedial actions. She also highlighted Amazon’s sophisticated real time tools, like productive analytics, adaptive machine learning and technology that help review data sources and identify signals, identify inauthentic goods and take immediate action.
An overview of Amazon’s brand protection tools and efforts in India was given by Mr. Sumit Kapoor, Global Brand Relations Manager, Amazon, focusing on their brand registry program which provides powerful search and report tools. “It simplifies cases of potential infringement and provides a simple and guided workflow of submitting a report of infringement. It also helps to build the brand and business with promotional tools and customer analytics”, said Mr. Kapoor.
The concern today was that trade in illicit products, aided by the Covid-19 crisis, was enriching criminal groups and endangering health, while also draining away vital industry and tax revenues. The webinar saw participation of leading industries such as ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, Britannia, Puma, Johnsons & Johnsons, Dabur, Beiersdorf, Mars, HP, Pernod Richard, Diageo, Underwriters Laboratories, among others including leading law firms. Some key concerns flagged by the representatives from these major players were:
• Need for a mechanism to monitor parallel imports which are not meant for sale in India.
• Tools to monitor counterfeit products sold with non-refundable caveats and consumers from being duped due to low pricing point and higher discounts.
• Availability of automated brand protection tools to remove duplicates/fakes.
• Mechanism to ensure that required regulations are met before sellers put products on the portal.
• Time taken between listing of a merchant and identification of bad actors.
Most participants agreed that brands were struggling in the diminishing market, with cheap counterfeits creating new listings on online marketplaces. They conclusively agreed on the need for a technology-enabled system to help counter illicit operations, besides an effective and strengthened deterrence actions against perpetrators of such criminal activities.
Gang involved in smuggling liquor busted
The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate on Thursday busted a gang involved in smuggling illicit liquor in the city amid lockdown. The police arrested three persons and recovered 316 cartons of liquor bottles of various brands.
The Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, said the police got a tip-off that Rajinder Kumar of Makhdoompura was supplying liquor in the city during the curfew imposed due to Covid-19, for which he had set up a godown at Raj Nagar.
To ensure that no one gets skeptical of this illegal business, Raju kept tenants at the godown, from where the liquor was supplied in a four- wheeler (PB-08 CH 9646).
Bhullar said a team of CIA Staff-1 raided the godown and arrested three suspects, identified as Amit Kumar, alias Ajay, Ankit and Ram Sewak, with 316 cartons of illicit liquor.
The CP further said Amit Kumar was a native of Visholi village in Unnao district of UP; Ankit of Chantpur village in Bihar; and Ram Sewak of Khera village in Unnao district of UP. They were Rajinder’s tenants and were involved in illegally supplying liquor during the lockdown. A case was registered.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/gang-involved-in-smuggling-liquor-busted-75196
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CBP seizes over 2,000 counterfeit KN95 masks from China
CINCINNATI — United States Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati seized 2,000 counterfeit KN95 masks at a Cincinnati shipping hub in early April.
The masks had been shipped from China and destined for Austin, Texas, according to a news release. If they reached their destination uninterrupted, they could have been sold for as much as $7,000.
Officers seized the masks for trademark violation — KN95 masks are specifically manufactured by 3M, a company that makes safety products such as respirators and goggles — but noted that fake masks can also endanger public health during the coronavirus crisis.
“Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens America’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of U.S. workers, and, in some cases, national security and the health and safety of consumers,” CBP spokesman Steven Bansbach said. “Trade in these illegitimate goods is associated with smuggling and other criminal activities, and often funds criminal enterprises.”
https://www.wcpo.com/news/coronavirus/cbp-seizes-over-2-000-counterfeit-kn95-masks-from-china
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Cigarette smugglers try to bribe cops, violate MCO
PENAMPANG: Two foreign men will face the music for trying to bribe police officers after being caught smuggling 755 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
Sabah Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Mazli Mazlan said the incident happened around 3.30pm on April 20 when a police team, carrying out ‘snap check’ operation, stopped the suspects’ Perodua Bezza car along Jalan Ulu Putatan.
He said the police stopped the vehicle for routine inspection during the movement control order (MCO) period and found boxes containing contraband cigarettes.
During questioning, one of the suspects tried to bribe police officers by offering RM7,000 for their release, he added.
However, Mazli said none of the officers were interested in the offer but instead detained both men at the scene, he told a press conference at the Penampang Police Headquarters yesterday.
https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/04/23/cigarette-smugglers-try-to-bribe-cops-violate-mco/
Lear MoreAs prices soar, gold seizures by Customs hits all-time high in Chennai
Spiralling gold prices and a sagging economy may have dampened the spirits of both consumers and jewellers. But, there are a few people making the most out of this situation.
As gold prices skyrocketed during FY20, smuggling activity also touched an all-time high. According to data shared by Chennai Customs, Chennai International Airport seized as much as 375 kg of gold in FY20 as against 271 kg seized in the previous year. The seizure, in value terms, had more than doubled to ₹134 crore in FY20 as compared to ₹87 crore a year ago.
The depreciation of the rupee in relation to the dollar and the US-China trade war crisis made investors find a safe haven in the yellow metal, which led to a price hike. In addition, the high customs duty made the legal import of gold costlier. All of these pushed some people to choose the smuggling path.
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