Seminar on Containing Counterfeiting and Smuggling – A Step Towards Prosperous Nation Building, Jaipur
13/02/2020 | Jaipur
India, due to its massive strides in the world economic arena, has become a favourite of the smugglers and counterfeiters, who indulge in illegal economic activities with no concern other than making fast profit at any cost. Illicit trade decelerates a nation’s progress, be it economic, social, environmental, besides impacting the safety and security of the country and its people. It is estimated that the global illicit trade is now of the size of about US $3 trillion.
In order to address the menace of illicit trade, which is now a major worldwide concern, FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) organized a seminar to contain the menace of counterfeiting and smuggling in Jaipur on 13 February 2020, in keeping with its nationwide awareness campaign on the issue. The focus of the seminar was to provide stakeholders with the tools, information and the capacity needed to tackle the rising concern on illicit trade.
“Counterfeiting and smuggling related crimes have increased manifold in the global market resulting in revenue loss to government and businesses besides adversely impacting the health and safety of the consumers”, observed Mr. Ramesh Chand Meena, Hon’ble Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Rajasthan, chief guest at the seminar. Extending his support for the FICCI initiative, he looked forward to working in close collaboration with CASCADE to address this issue.
Dr. K L Jain, Member, FICCI Rajasthan State Council and Honorary Secretary General, Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI), while welcoming the participants, highlighted that counterfeiting and smuggling adversely impacted industries, consumers, government and economies as a whole. Illicit trade has a serious decelerating effect on economic growth which must be substantially curbed. Among other steps, consumers should be made aware of the importance of taking a bill on every purchase they make to help make India a tax complaint nation and thus contribute to progressive nation building.
Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs, while speaking on the adverse socio-economic impact that illicit trade had highlighted the that overall global losses due to counterfeiting and piracy stood at Rs. 57.23 lakh crore in 2013 and was expected to go up to Rs. 119.7 lakh crore by 2022. Mr. N K Jain, Member, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & President of the Employers Association of Rajasthan, delivered the vote of thanks.
The focus of discussion during the seminar was on the importance of increased awareness about the hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling, and the need for effective enforcement to enhance India’s economic development. During the panel discussions, there were extensive deliberations on the role of enforcement agencies, government and industry in combatting illicit trading activities. Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, while presiding the panel discussions, stressed on the need to have a multi-disciplinary approach to encounter this challenge. Society at large, trade and industry, enforcement agencies and policy makers need to come together to fight this concern. He said that the problem was two-fold: counterfeiting and smuggling,and needed to be dealt with through collaborative, effective and stern actions. Joining him on the panel were Mr. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Principal Commissioner of Custom, Jaipur, Mr. Honhar Singh Meena, Additional Director, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Jaipur Regional Unit, Mr. G D Bansal, Vice Chairman, The Bar Council of Rajasthan, Mr. Vishnu Peri, Legal Consultant – Central Region, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and Mr. Tanmay Jaswal, Founder & Director, Chkfake Brand Protection Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Enforcement officers underlined that counterfeiting and smuggling were attractive propositions due to three factors: easy to emulate, low investments and lack of technical expertise to identify those engaged in such malpractices. They also observed that among various products, cigarettes particularly were mostly prone to smuggling as it was a low-risk, high-reward criminal activity. The panellists stressed on the need to implement existing provisions of laws and simultaneously move towards a more technology-enabled system to counter such illegal operations. They agreed that a strong deterrence in the form of impeccable laws was needed to be put in place to curb the illicit trade menace.
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Hong Kong Customs seize counterfeit US-bound goods
Hong Kong Customs has seized some 10,000 counterfeit products destined for the US in a targeted operation to combat cross-boundary counterfeiting activities.
The goods had an estimated street value of about HKD1.1 million (US$141,000), were seized, including medicines, mobile phones, handbags, shoes and clothing.
The seizures resulted from a sharing of intelligence with US regulatory authorities, something Hong Kong Customs says it expects to continue as it targets cross-boundary counterfeiting activities to a variety of other countries.
Under Hong Kong’s Trade Descriptions Ordinance, anyone who imports or exports goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of HKD500,000 ($64,400) and imprisonment for five years.
https://insideretail.asia/2020/02/05/hong-kong-customs-seize-counterfeit-us-bound-goods/
Lear MoreConsignment of cosmetics seized at Ctg port.
Officials of Chattogram Custom House yesterday seized a consignment of cosmetics.
Customs officials said they would be able to ascertain exact value of the seized product in a day or two.
For the clearing preparation the tax rate are 53 percent while for cosmetics it stands up to 127 percent, officials said.
Dhaka-based Fatema International has declared 24 tonnes of clearing preparation from Thailand, which assigned OSL Trade Pvt Ltd to release the consignment.
Nur-A-Hasna Sanjida Anushua, assistance commissioner of customs, said the importers and C&F agents were announced as clearing preparation.
“We notified the importer and the C&F agent several times to take the consignment after physical examination but they refused to do so every time,” she added.
https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/consignment-cosmetics-seized-ctg-port-1863724
Lear More7,142 bottles of illegal cough syrup seized in Ahmedabad.
AHMEDABAD: Kagdapith police on Saturday night seized 7,142 bottles worth Rs 7,64,000 of different brands ofcough syrup containing codeine from Devanshi Pan Parlour in Behrampura and from a rented house in Suvrna Rukha Society in Danilimda.
Inspector U D Jadeja of Kagdapith police station said they have arrested the shopowner, Pankaj Danagar, while the supplier of the stuff, Bharat Chaudhary, is on the run.
“We have registered a case under sections 8C, 21C and 29 of NDPS act. We are looking for Chaudhary who is the kingpin of the racket,” said Jadeja. Police sources said that with booze in short supply, alcoholics have begun turning to cough syrups to get their kicks.
“On Saturday evening, following up on a tip-off, we sent a decoy to the pan parlour. The owner gave our man a cough syrup without a bill or prescription. We raided the shop and found 21 bottles,” said sub-inspector K A Jadeja. During the shopowner’s interrogation, he revealed that cough syrup bottles containing codeine were stocked at his rented house. “Dangar also confessed that Chaudhary used to supply the cough syrup to him,” said a police official.
Feds seize over $123 million worth of counterfeit Super Bowl merchandise
Federal officials seized an estimated $123 million worth of counterfeit sports goods for teams playing in the Super Bowl ahead of Sunday’s big game in Miami.
In a statement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said officials found more than 176,000 counterfeit sports-related items during Operation Team Player.
Agents with the Customs and Border Protection along with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and Miami-Dade officiers seized the counterfeit items from flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors over the past week as part of the effort. They included fake jerseys, hats, jewelry, cell phone accessories and other items.
ICE shared a photo of the items, some of which had logos for the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers who are set to battle it out at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday night.
“Operation Team Player remains one of the most important national initiatives for protecting sports fans from the sale of counterfeit products and counterfeit tickets,” said Dolores DiBella, NFL’s vice president of legal affairs.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/02/us/cbp-fake-superbowl-merchandise-seized/index.html
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Foreign currency worth crores recovered at IGIA.
New Delhi: Two Afghan nationals and two Indians were detained in the past 48 hours at Delhi’s IGI Airport in three separate cases of smuggling foreign currency worth crores, according to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
In the first case, CISF personnel recovered $ 31,000 (about Rs 22 lakh) from two Afghan nationas identified as Abdul Saboor Amiri and Zafar Mohammad Nazari on January 30. The accused were bound for Kabul by Kam Air flight.
The suspects could not produce any valid document. They were were handed over to Customs for further action, CISF said.
In the second incident, CISF recovered euro 1,19,200 and $ 2,000 (about Rs 96 lakh) concealed in the turban of a suspect identified as Surinder Singh Seehra bound for Bangkok by NokScoot flight.
The suspect had no valid documents, CISF said.
In the third incident reported on Friday, CISF recovered $ 8050, Kuwaiti dinar 3,505, Saudi riyal 2,500 and Omani riyal 725 (about Rs 16 lakh) from an Indian national, Habibullah, bound for Dubai by Spice Jet flight.
https://www.indileak.com/2020/01/foreign-currency-worth-crores-recovered-at-igia/
Lear MoreFive held, 138 boxes of illicit liquor seized in UP.
Kushinagar, Jan 31 (UNI) Five people were arrested and a consignment of 138 boxes of illicit, country-made liquor seized from a DCM at a warehouse in the Barwan village of the Kasya area in this district of Uttar Pradesh.
The liquor had been kept hidden amongst sacks of animal food. A motorcycle was also recovered from the warehouse and a case has been registered under various sections against six people including the warehouse owner. All five arrested have been sent to jail.
Police had been receiving information about illegal activities being carried out at the warehouse since one week.
The cops then raided the warehouse based on an information about the consignment, late Thursday night.
A manhunt has been launched for the warehouse owner.
http://www.uniindia.com/five-held-138-boxes-of-illicit-liquor-seized-in-up/north/news/1871873.html
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Gold, foreign currency, and cigarettes seized at RGIA.
HYDERABAD: Two persons who arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) from Delhi were nabbed by the air intelligence officials on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle foreign currency to Dubai through a Delhi-bound flight.
Foreign currency in various denominations equivalent to Rs 16.5 lakh was recovered from them, officials said.
In another case, acting on a specific report, the authorities seized foreign cigarettes illegally being transported into the country. Ten cartons of cigarette packets were seized from 10 passengers who arrived in Hyderabad from different locations including Malaysia, Cambodia, and Dubai. The seized property is worth `50 lakh, officials said.
Authorities seize ₱58 million of fake, smuggled cigarettes.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 29) – Authorities have seized over P58 million worth of illegal cigarettes in Caloocan City, the Bureau of Customs said Wednesday.
A BOC statement said 1,670 cases of suspected counterfiet and smuggled cigarettes were confiscated by Philippine Coast Guard, Caloocan police and Customs personnel on Tuesday in Barangay 168.
The illegally imported products with supposed brands Marvels, Fortune, D&B, Mighty and Jackpot were stored in nine trucks, BOC said.
The bureau added these brands “are believed to have a big market share in provinces where they are usually sold to unsuspecting patrons.”
Further investigation is being conducted to know who should be held responsible, the bureau said.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/1/29/smuggled-cigarettes-in-Caloocan.html
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Bureau of Customs seized P20-B smuggled goods in 2019.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized a total of P20.58 billion-worth of smuggled goods, mostly counterfeit goods, illegal drugs and tobacco products, in 2019.
The BOC said it was able to apprehend P9.44 billion-worth of counterfeit products, P3.59 billion-worth of illegal drugs, and P2.67 billion worth of cigarettes and tobacco products.
The rest are from agricultural goods (P398.47 million), general merchandise (59.87 million), vehicles and accessories (106.55 million), used clothing (P66.86 million), steel products (P78.59 million), electronics (P21 million), goods and firearms (P815,000), currency (P35 million), and other products (P4.1 billion).
They also said their collection efficiency remains consistent at 95.4 percent.
“The collection in 2019, apart from the efforts of our collection districts, is also attributed to revenue collection from issued alert orders amounting to more than P40.9 million; post clearance audits with more than P2 billion collected revenue, and more than P527.9 billion from public auctions,” the BOC said in its report.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/bureau-of-customs-seized-p20-b-smuggled-goods-in-2019/
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