Seminar on Containing Counterfeiting and Smuggling -A Step Towards Prosperous Nation Building, Chennai
22/01/2020 | Chennai
In the modern economic era, with technological advancements accelerating international trade and fragmentation of global supply chains, there is the need to maintain a right balance between trade facilitation and law enforcement. Significantly, as a result of these developments, the geographic scope, capacity and range of illegally traded goods have increased manifold over the years. Illicit trade, including counterfeiting and smuggling, now increasingly threaten economies, communities and the society as a whole. According to the World Economic Forum, economic leakages from illicit trade creates an annual drain on the global economy of US$2.2 trillion, which is nearly 3% of the world’s economy. The scale of counterfeiting and smuggling is huge, and 10% of the global GDP is siphoned off by illicit trade.
FICCI CASCADE has been working relentlessly to create awareness and sensitize all concerned about the harmful impact of counterfeiting, smuggling and piracy. In order to discuss this growing menace, FICCI CASCADE organised a seminar on “Containing Counterfeiting and Smuggling: A Step Towards Prosperous Nation Building” on 22nd January 2020 in Chennai. Ms. V Kavitha Dutt, Chairperson, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council & JMD, The KCP Ltd. in her welcome address highlighted that counterfeiting and smuggling adversely impacted industries, consumers, government and economy. “Illicit trade has a serious decelerating effect on growth which must be curbed substantially. Consumers must be emphasized on taking a bill on every purchase for making India a tax complaint nation and encouraging citizens to be a part of progressive nation building,” she added.
Hon’ble Dr. Justice S. Tamilvanan, President, Tamil Nadu State Consumer Disputes, was the chief guest at the seminar. “As per Consumer Protection Act 1986, consumer rights should be protected. Smuggling and counterfeiting is affecting not only the revenue of the government but is also adversely impacting commerce and industry and the health and safety of the people. This national problem can be reduced through proper laws and stringent actions, which in turn will lead to a prosperous nation building. Effective enforcement, special courts and tribunals, proper development and awareness are the pillars to curb this menace”, said Hon’ble Justice.
Dr. Prateep V. Philip, IPS, DGP Civil Supplies (CID), Government of Tamil Nadu, in his special address, said that India had a burgeoning market in counterfeit and smuggled goods ranging from electronics to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, apparels, cigarettes, footwear etc. “The increasing internet penetration of over 302 million internet users makes India the second largest online user base. Owning to the shift in customers from offline purchases to online purchases, a multi-pronged and multi layered approach across all supply chain is required to establish a universal and uniform electronic pedigree. Illicit trade is operated by criminal gangs and terrorist groups which emphasizes the importance of customs and border protection agencies in preventing and reducing this heinous crime,” he said.
Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, giving an overview on the socio-economic impact of illicit trade on the economy highlighted that the direct employment opportunity lost in textiles, cigarettes, readymade garments, capital goods and consumer electronics was about 5.01 lakh in 2017-18, while the employment opportunity lost in the economy was about 16.36 lakh in 2017-18 due to backward linkages and multiplier effects of these five industries. Mr. Jha also stressed on having zero-tolerance towards illicit products as it fuelled terrorist activities and organised crime.
The seminar generated discussions on the organised crime surge in India and the role of enforcement agencies in combating smuggling and counterfeiting. Ms. Kameswari Subramanian, International Expert, Customs Law, Procedures & Trade facilitation and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE while chairing the session emphasised on the role of social media, television and broadcasting on curbing the menace of illicit trade. Mr. M M Parthiban, Principal Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Customs Zone, Mr. Peri Umasankar, Additional Director General, DRI, Chennai Zonal Unit, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Mr. Vijay Kumar, IPS, Superintendent of Police, CB, CID, Chennai joined Ms. Subramanian in the panel. The enforcement officers echoed on the need for effective coordination and collaboration among the stakeholders coupled with vigorous action in order to counter the growing hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling. With the online purchase fuelling the sale of counterfeit products, the officers urged firms to use bar-codes and RFID tags when selling via e-portals to assure consumers of authentic products.
The role of government and industry to fight against smuggled and fake products and ensuring consumer protection was addressed by representative of leading industries, law firms and senior government officials. Eminent panellists in the deliberations included Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, Mr. Sajjansingh R Chavan, Commissioner, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Ms. Shakthi Priya, Legal Consultant, Hindustan Unilever, Mr. Rajesh Ramanathan, Partner, Factum Law and Mr. R Srivatchan, Director, Chaturth Business Solutions. The panellists were of the view that a streamlined, formal system of informing the manufacturers about the illicit products would allow for an effective communication between consumers and brands and help curb the practice of producing counterfeit products. They emphasised on the fact that illicit trade was a national issue that affected everyone individually, hence, a behavioural change for consumers was required with respect to buying/using such products.
Ms. P Suriya Prabha, Director of Programs, Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) elaborated on few international best practices in combating illicit trade, while Mr. P Sridharan, Head, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council also shared his perspective on the subject.
The seminar witnessed enthusiastic participation of over 120 industry captains, representative from consumer forums, lawyers, government officials, media and other stakeholders. The discussions concluded with a common view that the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling was multifaceted and complex and needed to be discussed time and again with government agencies to emphasize on effectively addressing the menace through adequate laws and enforcement practices; increased engagement with industry and, most importantly, creating awareness in the society to help fight the threat emanating from illicit trade.
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Italian Police Seize 1 Million Liters of Counterfeit Wine.
Italian police seized over one million liters of counterfeit wine during a series of dawn raids in the northern region of Lombardy. Five were arrested in connection with the production of fake Oltrepò Pavese DOC and PGI wines, Meininger’s Wine Business International reports.
The confiscated bottles contained extra sugar, prohibited grape varieties, and additives to mimic the flavor and aroma of real Oltrepò Pavese wines. Numerous cases were also falsely labeled “organic.” The resulting product was not harmful, according to prosecutors, “just fraudulent.”
The raid was the culmination of a year-long investigation into the Cantina di Canneto wine cooperative, which is located about 35 miles south of Milan, in the Oltrepò Pavese region.
After receiving a tip-off about the co-op’s 2018 vintage, police bugged phones and used video surveillance to obtain the necessary evidence to make their move. It’s currently unknown whether any of the counterfeit wine was exported.
Several high-profile figures were among those arrested, including the Cantina di Canneto cooperative’s chairman, and the vice-chair of the local branch of Assoenologi, Italy’s winemaker’s association.
https://vinepair.com/booze-news/italian-police-counterfeit-wines/
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Seven million counterfeit cigarettes seized by police in Limburg
Special units of the federal police seized seven million counterfeit cigarettes during a raid in Lanaken on Monday afternoon.
Assisted by members of the Limburg Special Assistance Unit-Tactical intervention group, the special units raided two industrial sheds- one in Smeermaas and one in Gellik- in part of a major investigation into cigarette fraud.
Having recently discovered the storage sites for the counterfeit cigarettes, Genk customs requested that police raids take place, as there was reason to believe that the storage sites would be guarded by armed men, Het Belang Van Limburg explains.
Although the special units did not find anybody in the sheds during the raids, they discovered and seized the seven million counterfeit cigarettes, spokesperson for the Federal Public Service Finance, Customs and Excise, Francis Adyns, confirmed to Het Nieuwsblad. The counterfeit cigarettes were of the Superking brand, mainly consumed in the U.K.
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The Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs seized nearly 4kg of gold, valued at Rs 1.54 crore, in three separate incidents at the international airport in Chennai on Sunday and Monday. The gold was smuggled in an emergency light, rice cooker and electrical juicer, a press release from the Customs revealed.
On Sunday morning, Sharafudheen, a 23-year-old man who arrived via an IndiGo flight from Dubai, was stopped at the exit of the airport. When Customs personnel inspected his checked-in bag, a rice cooker was found. When dismantled, the the rice cooker was found to contain a ring-shaped gold ingot weighing 610gm, worth Rs 25.22 lakh, inside its heating plate. Sharafudheen, a native of Kozhikode, Kerala, was arrested.
On Sunday night, Abdul Jaleel, another native of Kozhikode, was intercepted at the exit of the Chennai Airport. Jaleel, who arrived from Abu Dhabi via Bahrain on a Gulf Air flight, was carrying an electrical juicer. When Customs officials dismantled the juicer, they found a rectangular gold sheet weighing 438gm and valued at Rs 18.11 lakh. The gold sheet was concealed inside the motor of the juicer. Abdul Jaleel is 29 years old.
Mumbai: Gutkha worth Rs 2.74 crore seized from godown in Bhiwandi.
Mira-Bhayandar: In a prize catch for the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) authorities, a huge consignment of gutkha worth more than Rs 2.74 crore was seized from a godown in the Kharbao area of Bhiwandi on Friday.
Based on a specific tip-off, a team led by food safety officer Manek Jadhav along with the local police swooped down on the godown. One person, identified as Amar Bahadur Ramkhilawan Saroj, a resident of Kashimira, was taken into custody. His accomplices, Umakanth Kathe, Faizal and Raju Gupta, managed to evade the dragnet.
Upon checking the premises, the FDA team found hundreds of gunny bags stashed with thousands of sachets of tobacco laced and other banned products. The market value of the seized consignment has been pegged at Rs.2,74, 52, 700.
A case has been registered against the accused.In a prize catch for the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) authorities, a huge consignment of gutkha worth more than Rs 2.74 crore was seized from a godown in the Kharbao area of Bhiwandi on Friday.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-gutkha-worth-rs-274-crore-seized
Lear MoreMisbranded cosmetics seized from shop.
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Among the items seized were 60 bottles of soft gelatin capsules, 62 bottles of Vitamin E capsules, henna powder, and aloe vera gels. The raid was conducted by the Drugs Control Department based on a petition received from a resident of Malappuram who complained of having developed allergy after using a hair oil that comes in gelatin capsules bought from the shop.
“We recovered the same type of product from the shop. The shopowner could not furnish any valid purchase details of the cosmetics except for the claim that they were bought from Tamil Nadu though they appeared to have been imported from China. Prima facie, its appears to be a case of misbranded cosmetics under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” said Saju A., Drugs Inspector (Intelligence Branch), Drugs Control Department.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/misbranded-cosmetics-seized-from-shop/article30580185.ece
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Drugs, makeup and 200,000 illegal cigarettes seized from shops and cars in Walsall.
More than 200,000 illegal cigarettes, prescription drugs and cosmetics have been seized during an operation in Walsall.
Around 27kg of hand-rolling tobacco was also secured during the operation, which saw the illicit items being taken from shops and vehicles across the borough.
Walsall Council’s Trading Standards team didn’t disclose the location of the seizures, which took place on Thursday, January 16.
Photos, which were shared by the team, shows dozens of packets of cigarettes placed in a brown box.
A spokesman said: “Today taking illegal tobacco from shops and vehicles in the borough. 220,000 cigs and 27Kg tobacco seized, along with illegal toys, prescription drugs and cosmetics! Teamwork.”
The news comes less than 24 hours after a Wolverhampton shop owner who sold and stashed around £200,000-worth of illegal and counterfeit cigarettes behind secret compartments was jailed.
Zemnako Azad Salih, who ran Sam Euro Style in Newhampton Road West, was handed the 28-month custodial sentence following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday, January 15.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/drugs-makeup-200000-illegal-cigarettes-17586158
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Fake cosmetics seized from Marine Drive shop.
KOCHI: Officials of the Drugs Control Department seized a huge quantity of fake cosmetic products from a wholesale shop functioning at a shopping complex at Marine Drive here on Thursday.
The officials said in the raid conducted at the cosmetic shop, ‘Midas’, it was found that products, including hair oil, henna powder, Vitamin E tablets, and facial creams, were stored in the shop without valid documents.
“The tablets and facial creams of fake brands were imported from China and illegally brought to Kochi,” said an official. The wholesale dealer has six branches in the state.
The raid was conducted following a complaint lodged by a Malappuram native who developed an allergic reaction after using a hair oil purchased from the shop.
“The details of the products, including dates of manufacturing and date of expiry, were not recorded on the packets. The manufacturers’ names were also missing. The shop owners also did not maintain bills and other documents,” said an officer.The seized products will be produced before the court and sent for quality control examinations.
Fake cigarettes on rise in Kerala.
Kochi: Sale and consumption of fake cigarettes are increasing alarmingly in Kerala. It is learned that these fake cigarettes are being sold in the state as Chinese cigarettes.
“The fake cigarettes are transported to Tamil Nadu through ships from Sri Lanka and Malaysia. From Tamil Nadu, it is taken to Kerala. The fake cigarettes are transported to Ernakulam via Idukki and collected at a godown in Perumbavoor,” reported excise officials.
Sale of fake cigarettes without paying the tax incurs huge revenue loss to the state government. At the same time, use of these cigarettes will lead to serious health issues too.
https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/fake-cigarettes-on-rise-in-kerala-1.4448140
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$460,000 in fake Air Jordans, UGGs, Rolexes and more seized in Greensboro; five arrested
GREENSBORO — State agents seized $460,000 worth of counterfeit products — Air Jordan shoes, UGG boots, Rolex watches, Gucci handbags and pirated CDs and DVDs — at a Greensboro flea market Saturday, according to the N.C. Department of the Secretary of State.
The estimated retail value is the amount the genuine trademarked items would sell for, the agency said Thursday in a news release.
Agents with the N.C. Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force discovered the knock-off designer apparel and accessories at The Flea flea market at 3220 N. O’Henry Blvd. in Greensboro, state officials said. Homeland Security Investigations and the Greensboro Police Department helped with the enforcement sweep.
Five people were charged with trademark violations. Ramon Vararro Poteat, 60, of Browns Summit, and Alhage Mohammed Secka, 51, of Raleigh were each charged with one count of felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark. Three other flea market vendors were charged with misdemeanor trademark violations: Evette Delynn Daouda, 53, of Greensboro; Felicia Dianne Able, 46, of Greensboro; and Joey Ray Willis, 39, of Danville, Va.