16 detained in gold smuggling case
Customs authorities have detained 16 people in east China’s Fujian Province in connection to a gold smuggling case worth about 820 million yuan (about 116 million U.S. dollars).
The gang illegally exported about three tonnes of gold and related products, according to the administration of customs in Fuzhou, the provincial capital.
Since February 2017, the gang members purchased a large amount of gold in several localities and assembled the gold into audio decoders. After transporting the decoders to Hong Kong, the members dissembled the gold from the decoders and sold it to gold purchasing companies in Hong Kong.
The gang members are also suspected of illegally collecting export tax rebates worth about 120 million yuan.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/11/c_139047171.htm
Lear MoreOfficials tighten vigil against liquor smuggling in kerala
KOCHI: Excise and police departments, which have been fighting illicit liquor rackets during the lockdown, now have a new problem to handle as there has been an inflow of liquor from the neighbouring states forcing them to increase checking and surveillance in the district.
The possibility aroused after Centre allowed opening of liquor outlets but the state delayed opening of outlets even as the neighbouring states went ahead with opening of the outlets immediately. Officers said that liquor purchased in bulk from these states were being sold at exorbitant prices in the district.
Lear MoreCrime Branch busts cigarette, tobacco smuggling racket
Where there is prohibition, black marketing rackets are inevitable. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has busted a racket where tobacco, cigarettes and paan masala were being smuggled in vehicles that had government permission to transport fruits and vegetables.
According to Crime Branch officials, the lid was blown off the racket after police inspector Sunil Mane, in charge of Unit X, received a tip-off. A Unit X team visited Gajanan Colony in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi on Thursday and searched the area covertly till they located the Tata S Model tempo the informant had specified.
“The tempo had a sticker issued by the government, which permitted it to ply during the lockdown. The sticker said it had permission to transport fruits and vegetables. We spotted two men near the tempo who tried to sneak out as soon as the saw us inspecting it,” a Unit X officer said.
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More counterfeit COVID-19 tests seized in US
Customs and Border Protection officers seized counterfeit COVID-19 test kits at Rochester airport in New York during the inspection of express-consignment shipments.
This is the latest in several shipments that have contained counterfeit test kits that have not been approved by the FDA, according to CBP. There were 25 kits in the latest shipment, but since March officers at Rochester airport have seized more than 600 fake COVID-19 tests.
The FDA has issued emergency use authorisation (EUA) to about 50 companies that are allowed to develop and distribute COVID-19 test kits. However, the companies that created the test kits in these shipments have not been approved to sell them in the US.
In Cincinnati, CBP officers have made 62 seizures, a total of 29,438 kits, with 52 shipments still awaiting FDA review. These kits had a domestic value of $588,760. These seizures contained counterfeit kits, as well as unapproved and prohibited test kits. Some of the larger seizures were seizures of 5,000 kits and then three other seizures of 2,000 kits a piece.
Lear MoreOver 8 million smuggled cigarettes seized on their way into Ireland behind ‘frozen chicken’
Revenue officers seized 8.4 million cigarettes at Dublin Port on Wednesday as a result of ongoing intelligence led operations.
The smuggled cigarettes were concealed behind pallets of frozen chicken in a refrigerated shipping container that arrived aboard a vessel from Rotterdam.
The ‘illicit white’ cigarettes, branded ‘RICHMOND’, have an estimated value of over €4.1 million, representing a loss to the exchequer of €3.51 million.
Investigations are ongoing. This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products.
Lear MoreDelhi 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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