Police bust currency racket, seize fake notes of Rs 21 lakh
Police on Tuesday said they had busted a gang involved in printing counterfeit currency notes in Chhattisgarh by arresting five men and seizing fake currency amounting to Rs 21 lakh before it was delivered to a Raipur businessman.
The arrested men were identified as Kalaram (29) alias Ramdas Jaitpur, Munnalal (50), Durga Kurrey (52), Resham (24) and Bhupendra Jangde (26). All reside in district Balodabazar, which adjoins Mahasamund, the police said.
Briefing the media, Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said the mastermind, Kalaram, and Munnalal were arrested in a raid near Belsonda Gate close to Nadi Mod in Mahasamund district.
Seized from them were fake currency notes of Rs 13 lakh.
The others were arrested from Balodabazar district with the rest of the counterfeit currency, the officer added.
The police also recovered a computer, a printer machine, ink, paper used in printing of notes, a cutter, a pen drive and a motorbike.
Webinar on Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond, Madhya Pradesh
29/07/2020 | Madhya Pradesh
Illicit trade in terms of counterfeiting and smuggling have emerged as one of the most formidable challenges before the nation, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic which has led to an economic distress. Illicit traders have always attacked vulnerabilities, be it brands, supply chains or consumers. As the perpetrators are looking at innovative ways to deceive the system to carry out their activities, they in turn deeply harm the economic interests of the nation. It is important to note that there is a steep rise in cases of smuggling and counterfeiting during the past few months, adversely impacting not only the government exchequer and industry sales, but also threatening local industries on which livelihoods of many depend.
More so, as a result of the supply chain disruptions, globalisation has now taken a back seat and nations are increasingly looking inwards to fulfill their needs and requirements. PM’s clarion call to promote local manufacturing and local goods will also play a crucial role to address the demand and supply gap and deter cross border smuggling.
Hence it was felt that it is vital to discuss and understand the disruptions caused by the pandemic. As new vulnerabilities emerge, and existing vulnerabilities at greater risk of exploitation by criminals, tackling this global scourge becomes even more acute and urgent in the current scenario. It is with the above background, FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) organized a webinar on ‘Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond’ on 29th July 2020. The webinar focused on the state of Madhya Pradesh and was a part of a series of such interactions to be organized across the country by FICCI CASCADE to highlight this issue and elicit response from different states.
Shri Sanjay Kumar Shukla, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Government of Madhya Pradesh was the chief guest at the webinar. Mr. Shukla said, “Government, law enforcement agencies, industry and consumers must come together to identify the gaps and act in a coordinated way to address counterfeiting and smuggling”. He further added that in order to eliminate this problem in India, FICCI can share international best practices and actionable points to the government on how other countries have been able to counter this problem successfully.
FICCI CASCADE Chairman, Mr. Anil Rajput while welcoming the distinguished guests and participants said, “I must compliment the Madhya Pradesh government and the enforcement agencies for relentlessly pursuing the perpetrators of illicit trade. Despite the mammoth challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, their hands on approach and alertness has been highlighted by seizures of large number of cigarettes, liquor, synthetic milk, fake currency and much more. I’m confident that going forward they will keep up their stellar performance and continue to play an extremely important role in our fight against illicit trade”.
Speaking on ‘vocal for local’ being a potent tool in our fight against Illicit Trade, it was emphasized that as India starts to produce strong domestic brands and gradually reduces its dependence on foreign products, the circulation of foreign goods will over a period be reduced. As the profits begin to dry up, it will subsequently demotivate the criminals to further undertake such illegitimate activities.
As several cases of seizures of illicit goods are being reported amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Vipin Maheshwari IPS, Additional Director General, Special Task Force, Madhya Pradesh Police in his address said that COVID-19 is a wakeup call for all of us. No product category has been spared, be it milk, cosmetics, clothes, footwear, seeds, fertilizers or pharma. Mr. Maheshwari was of the opinion that sustained awareness campaigns for people, necessary amendments in laws, increasing penalties and sentences, more product testing laboratories are some areas where the government, police and business community should work together to eliminate this challenge.
The session was chaired by Mr. P K Malhotra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, GoI and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE. Mr. Malhotra highlighted that smuggling and counterfeiting harms the economy in multidimensional ways and the problem has been aggravated by globalisation and increased mobility. He also emphasized that effective coordination between central and state agencies, strengthening domestic manufacturing, addressing the demand and supply gap and leveraging technology are needed to make a conducive environment free from illicit products.
The webinar underscored the need for policy level coordination between government and the industry to address this menace. Illegal trade not only leads to revenue loss for the government but also leads to unemployment and hence a more focused and collaborated approach along with training and sensitization of enforcement officers for such crimes was much needed. The webinar was attended by industry, government officials, officers from the enforcement agencies and stakeholders in this segment.
Mr. Dinesh Patidar, Chairman, FICCI Madhya Pradesh State Council and CMD, Shakti Pumps India Ltd. made the concluding remarks.
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Fake Rolex Watches, Louboutins, Versace Sunglasses Among $1.8M in Phony Designer Products Seized At LAX
U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at LAX seized
More than 3,500 counterfeit high-fashion products arriving via express air cargo from Hong Kong were seized at LAX, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officers found the goods — 3,524 items — while doing an enforcement exam on a shipment of 99 boxes that weighed 3,827 pounds arriving on June 25. The shipment was falsely manifested as “Ladies Tops Storage Bag Empty” and was a clear attempt to circumvent U.S. law, the agency said.
n total, the products would have an estimated retail price of $1.8 million. The fake merchandise included YSL, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Versace, Gucci, Fendi, Nike, Under Armor, Adidas, Cartier, Rolex, Dior, Pandora, Casio, Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Christian Louboutin.
In the same shipment, CBP officers discovered and seized 2,160 pills of Sildenafil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, and 4,500 pills of Ranitidine Hydrochloride, used for stomach problems.
Lear MoreSmuggled cigarettes worth more than ₹66 lakh seized at Delhi’s IGI Airport
The Delhi Customs at Indira Gandhi International Airpor, has booked a case of smuggling of foreign cigarettes (“3700 Dandas”) without pictorial warning imprinted on them on 23 July, 2020 by 13 Indian passengers stranded in Dubai due to Covid-19. The passengers were travelling from Dubai to Delhi via Flight No. EK-510 and arrived at 09:05 am on 23.07.2020 at T-3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. These 13 Indian passengers were intercepted after they had crossed the Green Channel.
The said recovered cigarettes have been seized under Section 110 of Customs Act, 1962. The collective value of the seized goods is ₹66,60,000, Ministry of Finance said in a release on Friday.
The 13 Indian passengers have been placed under arrest in terms of Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigations are under progress.
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Customs arrests 13 men for smuggling in cigarettes worth over Rs 66 lakh from Dubai
NEW DELHI: Customs officials have arrested 13 men for smuggling into the country over 7.5 lakh cigarette sticks, worth Rs 66 lakh, at Delhi international airport, officials said on Friday.
The accused were intercepted by the officials after their arrival from Dubai on Thursday. They were found to be carrying over 7.5 lakh cigarette sticks in their baggage, the customs officials said.
All the accused, aged between 26-40 years, worked as laborers and were stranded in Dubai due to COVID-19.
They were probably lured into carrying the cigarettes in lieu of free-flying tickets by the mastermind, the officials said. The cigarettes, worth Rs 66.6 lakh, have been seized and the accused were arrested, according to a statement issued by the customs.
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Two trucks intercepted at border post attempting to smuggle R2m worth of illicit goods
Police say two suspects will appear in court on charges of smuggling illicit cigarettes and Contravention of Medicine and Related Substance Control Act.
Police deployed at the Groblersbridge Border post outside Lephalale, Limpopo, on Tuesday intercepted two trucks attempting to smuggle R2 million worth of illicit goods into South Africa.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said two suspects were arrested.
“The customs and border police officials intercepted two trucks attempting to cross from Botswana into South Africa, carrying loads of copper. The trucks were diverted to a searching bay where a thorough inspection of the consignments was conducted. Upon inspecting the cargo, boxes containing creams and cigarettes, covered with the tarpaulins, were discovered,” Mojapelo said.
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US agents seize 1,000+ bogus luxury watches in shipment from Dominican Republic
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico.- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations announced Tuesday the seizure of about one thousand counterfeit designer and luxury watches in a commercial shipment coming from the Dominican Republic. The estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized products is approximately $420, 583, had the goods been genuine.
“Fake watches do not have the quality of the genuine product,” indicated Leida Colon, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Trade. “These watches are made with substandard materials that do not withstand the toils of daily use.”
The majority of the counterfeits seized by the San Juan Field Office are illegitimate goods in the jewelry, footwear, clothing and prescription drugs product categories. The source countries for most of these items are Hong Kong and China.
The sale of counterfeit goods robs legitimate businesses of revenue, robs American workers of jobs, and poses health and safety threats to U.S. consumers. Often, the proceeds from counterfeit merchandise sales support nefarious or illicit businesses and activities.
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CBP finds more than $171,000 hidden in truck in El Paso border cash smuggling attempt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a cash shipment of $171,992 heading to Mexico at the Zaragoza Bridge in El Paso.
A photo released by CBP showed stacks of bills in denominations of $100, $50, $20 and a few $10, $5 and $1 bills.
The cash was found the evening of July 13 when CBP officers checking traffic heading to Mexico inspected a Chevrolet Silverado, officials said.
During the inspection, CBP officers found nine bundles of cash hidden in the dashboard. The undeclared currency was seized from a 23-year-old man, a U.S. citizen, who was driving the truck, officials said.
Travelers can carry any amount of cash across the border. But if the amount is more than $10,000, it must be reported to CBP. The unreported money can be seized and the person arrested for failing to declare the currency.
Lear MoreMiddle East/North African Authorities Seize Fake Medical Products
Amid a global surge for medical supplies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an Interpol-coordinated operation across the Middle East and North Africa seized thousands of counterfeit medical masks and drugs.
Between February and April, authorities from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia carried out inspections on their land, water and air borders, targeting pharmaceutical crimes.
This led to the seizure of 61,000 respiratory masks, 63,418 face masks and 85,000 other medical products such as gloves, thermometers, medical glasses, in addition to a variety of illicit medicine ranging from antimalarial drugs to sexual stimulants.
Interpol estimated the worth of the goods seized to US$14 million.
“The volume of illicit medicines and counterfeit medical products seized during this operation is a reminder of the extent of this global problem and the very real risk to public safety,” Paul Stanfield, Interpol Director for Organized and Emerging Crime, stressed.
Lear MorePolice seize fake COVID kits in international trafficking crackdown
Police have seized 17,000 fake COVID-19 testing kits discovered in raids against illicit food and drink products across dozens of countries, Interpol said Wednesday.
Officials seized $40 million (34.5 million euros) worth of fake or substandard products in 77 countries, and arrested 407 people in the operation, carried out from December 2019 to June 2020.
The products included contaminated dairy products, meat from illegally slaughtered animals and food products falsely labelled as medicinal cures, said Interpol, based in the southeastern French city of Lyon.
But police also intercepted thousands of fake medical products as countries worldwide rushed to secure supplies while locking down to curtail the coronavirus pandemic.
“As countries around the world continue their efforts to contain COVID-19, the criminal networks distributing these potentially dangerous products show only their determination to make a profit,” the agency’s secretary general Jurgen Stock said in a statement.
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