Fake COVID test kits, pills seized in Buffalo
A national Homeland Security operation aimed at combating fraud related to the novel coronavirus resulted in the seizure of thousands of phony COVID-19 testing kits, N95 masks and fake medications in Buffalo.
Homeland Security special agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Buffalo said they seized 6,000 fraudulent COVID-19 test kits, 3,400 N95 masks, and thousands of purported treatment pills to include Hydroxycloroquin Sulfate, Lainhua Qingwen Jianonang, Levofloxacin, Avelox, Chloroquin Phosphate, Azithromycin, and Chloroquine. More than $110,000 in illicit funds tied to COVID-19 fraud was also seized, officials said.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Stolen Promise, involves multiple federal agencies as well as business and industry representatives. Officials said it was launched in response to surging criminal activity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lear MoreGutkha, tobacco products worth lakhs seized
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch’s crackdown on smuggling of prohibited products could blow the lid off a larger racket involving misuse of government-issued passes for heavy vehicles. In the third such incident this month, the Crime Branch has seized gutkha and tobacco products, this time from a vehicle with permission to transport groceries and water.
The racket was busted after police inspector Sunil Mane, in charge of Unit X, received a tip-off and conducted a raid near Malik Compound in Chandivali on Tuesday. The police team searched a truck parked outside the compound and found 12 sacks of gutkha and scented supari containing tobacco. Transport of both are currently prohibited due to the nationwide lockdown.
“The truck’s windshield had a sticker saying it had permission to transport groceries and water in the lockdown. The total value of the seized goods is ₹11.8 lakh,” said a Crime Branch officer.
Lear MoreDelhi Customs officials seize PPE kits, sanitisers and lakhs of masks; consignments were being smuggled to US, UAE and Europe
New Delhi: Large quantities of sanitiser, PPE kits, masks and its raw materials being sent abroad illegally have been seized by customs officials at the cargo terminal in New Delhi, officials said.
The goods were mis-declared as garments, kids dresses, cosmetic items and packing materials for pouches to avoid suspicion and further scrutiny by the customs officials, officials said on Thursday.
The export of such goods is prohibited by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries have either increased the production of such products or ordered their imports owing to demands as they stare at its possible shortage.
Giving details of the seizures, a senior customs official said 2,480 kg of raw material for masks was intercepted by air cargo export.
In addition to these, the air cargo officers intercepted multiple shipments containing 5.08 lakh masks, 57 litres of sanitiser in 950 bottles and 952 PPE kits at the courier terminal in New Delhi, he said.
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€90k worth of cigarettes seized at Dublin Port
Cigarettes, worth over €90,000 have been seized by Revenue at Dublin Port.
They were discovered as part of an intelligence led operation today.
The smuggled cigarettes were discovered in a container carrying a mixed consignment of goods and were concealed behind air conditioning fan fittings that were destined for an address in Dublin.
The smuggled cigarettes, branded ‘Double Happiness’ and ‘Lambert and Butler’ have a retail value of over €91,000, representing a loss to the exchequer of €79,000.
Investigations are ongoing.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/90k-worth-of-cigarettes-seized-at-dublin-port-999495.html
Lear MoreIllegal liquor distillery busted in Patiala, Congress sarpanch, MLA’s aide booked
The accused were bottling liquor in Royal Stag, Masti Malta, Lajawab Sofia and Raseela Santra bottles, which are sought after liquor brands in the region.
An illegal distillery-cum-liquor-bottling plant was busted in Ghanaur, Patiala, the home district of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. A Congress sarpanch and an MLA’s aide have been booked.
A similar illegal distillery was busted in Khanna in April.
Khanpur Khurd sarpanch Amrik Singh, who is also an aide of Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur; and Dipesh Kumar of Rajpura, who is a confident of Congress MLA Hardial Singh Kamboj have been booked. Others named in the FIR are Harpreet Singh, Bacchi, and Amit Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Amrik’s wife is a Zila Parishad member, affiliated with the Congress.
Jalalpur admitted that he and MLA Kamboj and knew Dipesh but said they were unaware of his illegal dealings. The factory was raided after the matter came into the notice of top officials of the Punjab government.
Lear MoreDelhi Customs seizes over 5 lakh masks, 952 PPE kits being smuggled to China
The Delhi Customs on Wednesday intercepted a huge amount of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits, masks, raw material, and sanitisers which were being smuggled to China, officials said.
Amid the crisis of protective kits during the fight against increasing coronavirus cases in India, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), on March 19, had banned the export of all ventilators, surgical, disposable (2/3 Ply) masks, and textile raw material for masks and coveralls. Export of Alcohol-based sanitiser was banned by DGFT on April 7.
According to officials, on the basis of intelligence, Air Cargo, Delhi Customs intercepted multiple shipments containing 5.08 lakh masks, 57 litres of sanitiser in 950 bottles, and 952 PPE kits at the courier terminal, New Delhi. It was being smuggled out of the country.
The department has also seized 2,480 kg of raw material for masks which was being smuggled to China.
“The goods were declared as packing materials for pouches and were being smuggled to China. These goods are prohibited for export as per the latest DGFT guidelines,” the officer said.
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Port authorities seize, destroy 640,000 smuggled cigarette packs
Port authorities said Wednesday they have seized and destroyed around 640,000 trafficked cigarette packs worth 2.8 billion won (US$2.8 million), marking the largest bust in trafficked cigarettes in the Busan region.
The Busan Main Customs office said they have arrested and forwarded to prosecutors an unidentified suspect for allegedly smuggling in 640,000 South Korean-made cigarette packs exported to Southeast Asian countries.
The cigarettes were purchased in Vietnam and Thailand and shipped to Cambodia before being disguised as luxury travel bags as transshipment cargo bound for China via Busan, according to the customs officials. Authorities said they are in pursuit of an accomplice still at large.
The office said the suspects committed the massive trafficking to capitalize on the substantial price gap between cigarettes for domestic consumption and exports.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/05/251_289462.html
Lear MoreTwo held for gutkha, tobacco smuggling
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has busted another smuggling racket, where gutkha and tobacco products were being smuggled in vehicles that had permission to ply for supplying essential commodities. The police have arrested two people and seized contraband worth ₹39 lakh from Kandivali.
According to Crime Branch officers, police inspector Chimaji Adhav, in-charge of Unit XI, received a tip-off about the racket and laid a trap at Hindustan Naka on MG Road.
They intercepted an Ashok Leyland truck, which had a pass on its wind shield, allowing it to ply with essential supplies, on Monday. “However, a search revealed that it was carrying 18 jute sacks filled with gutkha and paan masala, worth ₹39.65 lakh,” a Crime Branch officer said.
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wc Police NAB More Suspects For Cigarette Smuggling
CAPE TOWN – There have products.
One suspect was arrested in Cape Town on Tuesday night and another was apprehended at a roadblock in the Garden Route.
In Ottery, the police’s K9 Unit, Crime Intelligence, the Hawks and swooped on a cigarette smuggler following a tip-off.
Authorities had been informed of a consignment coming into the Western Cape from Polokwane. It was heading to Grassy Park. The bust was valued R122,000.
Along the Garden Route, a 30-year-old man was caught with cigarettes worth R200,000.
Police said a Ford bakkie with a load of pineapples approached a roadblock at the Tsitskikama Toll Gate. The driver – travelling from Grahamstown to George – appeared anxious and officers conducted a routine search.
https://ewn.co.za/2020/05/13/wc-police-nab-more-suspects-for-cigarette-smuggling
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TC Gupta to head probe team on liquor smuggling in Haryana
The state government on Monday formed a three-member special enquiry team (SET) to probe liquor smuggling in Haryana, including the Kharkhoda liquor theft case, and appointed Additional Chief Secretary, Power, TC Gupta as its head.
The other members of the panel are ADGP Subhash Yadav and Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Singh. Home Minister Anil Vij said the three-member team would submit its report by May 31.
As per terms of reference, the SET will check the actual availability of stocks in all warehouses or godowns that were sealed by the Excise Department during the last two years for any violation.
It will also examine the cases of seizure of illicit liquor in Haryana from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, 0 oth by the Police and Excise Departments separately with special reference to the action taken and fines imposed by the latter pursuant to the recovery of liquor.
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