₹17 crore imported cigarettes seized in Navi Mumbai, two arrested.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized smuggled, foreign-origin cigarettes worth ₹17 crore on February 5 and arrested two people involved in a cigarette-smuggling racket. According to DRI officials, this is one of the largest cigarette seizures in recent times. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials intercepted a 40-feet container at a godown in Taloja, in Navi Mumbai, on Tuesday. The container was from Dubai and its destination was Aurangabad inland container depot (ICD). Inside, 650 master cartons were recovered, containing clove cigarettes of the Indonesian brand Gudang Garam. When the DRI team raided the godown, the cigarettes were being replaced with declared cargo (wash basins). The market value of the seized cigarettes is estimated at ₹17 crore. Gudang Garam is a popular brand among Indian smokers, according to the DRI. In October 2017, the agency seized ₹6.92 crore worth Gudang Garam cigarettes. During the raid, officials arrested Ranjay Kumar and Rajeev Kumar, and detained two others for questioning.
Lear MoreGang busted, Rs 6.9 crore smuggled gold seized.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling racket and arrested four men including the kingpin from a hideout at in the city on Tuesday. They seized 20.6kg of gold worth 6.88 crore, 21 lakh in cash and a BMW car from them.
The kingpin, identified as Aulthan Syed Ibrahim, had engaged many carriers to smuggle gold into through smaller airports where customs checks are less. The others in custody are Ahamed Harris, 37, S Abdullah, 43 (both from Chennai) and Ahamed Akram, 28, a native of . DRI officials believe Ibrahim had engaged people also to smuggle gold from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu by sea.
DRI sleuths have been keeping a watch on the suspects for two weeks. The arrested men were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. DRI sources said Ibrahim assigned people to smuggle gold especially from the Middle East. “Once smuggled in, the gold would be transported in imported, expensive cars which often escape routine police checks,” said an official.
Lear MoreGang busted, Rs 6.9 crore smuggled gold seized.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling racket and arrested four men including the kingpin from a hideout at in the city on Tuesday. They seized 20.6kg of gold worth 6.88 crore, 21 lakh in cash and a BMW car from them. The kingpin, identified as Aulthan Syed Ibrahim, had engaged many carriers to smuggle gold into through smaller airports where customs checks are less. The others in custody are Ahamed Harris, 37, S Abdullah, 43 (both from Chennai) and Ahamed Akram, 28, a native of . DRI officials believe Ibrahim had engaged people also to smuggle gold from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu by sea. DRI sleuths have been keeping a watch on the suspects for two weeks. The arrested men were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. DRI sources said Ibrahim assigned people to smuggle gold especially from the Middle East. “Once smuggled in, the gold would be transported in imported, expensive cars which often escape routine police checks,” said an official.
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Lorry driver jailed for smuggling cigarettes in frozen chickens.
Robert Januszewski, 48, of Poland, tried to smuggle cigarettes worth more than £2.5m in unpaid duty taxes through The Port of Hull, an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed. Januszewski was stopped by Border Force officers as he entered Hull from Europort in Rotterdam, Holland, on 6 February last year. His paperwork said he was transporting a load of frozen chickens to an address in Leeds. However, when officers searched the refrigerated trailer, they found boxes filled with 9.7 million Richmond cigarettes. Januszewski claimed he did not know about the cigarettes which were seized by Border Force and the case was passed to HMRC for investigation. Mark Robinson, Border Force assistant director, said: “The size of the detection should leave people in no doubt that tobacco smuggling is a serious crime, worth big money to the criminals involved.
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Driver tried to smuggle ten million cigarettes into Hull disguised as frozen chickens.
A lorry driver caught smuggling almost ten million illegal cigarettes disguised as frozen chickens into Hull has been jailed.
Robert Januszewski, 48, of Poland, has been sentenced to four years in prison for trying to smuggle the cigarettes worth more than £2.5m in unpaid duty taxes through The Port of Hull. Januszewski was stopped by Border Force officers as he entered Hull from Europort in Rotterdam, Holland, on February 6 last year.
His paperwork said he was transporting a load of frozen chickens to an address in Leeds. But when officers searched the refrigerated trailer, they found boxes filled with 9,686,800 Richmond cigarettes.
Januszewski claimed he did not know about the cigarettes, which were seized by Border Force. The case was passed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for investigation over claims £2,621,808 duty had not been paid.
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Driver tried to smuggle ten million cigarettes into Hull disguised as frozen chickens.
A lorry driver caught smuggling almost ten million illegal cigarettes disguised as frozen chickens into Hull has been jailed. Robert Januszewski, 48, of Poland, has been sentenced to four years in prison for trying to smuggle the cigarettes worth more than £2.5m in unpaid duty taxes through The Port of Hull. Januszewski was stopped by Border Force officers as he entered Hull from Europort in Rotterdam, Holland, on February 6 last year. His paperwork said he was transporting a load of frozen chickens to an address in Leeds. But when officers searched the refrigerated trailer, they found boxes filled with 9,686,800 Richmond cigarettes. Januszewski claimed he did not know about the cigarettes, which were seized by Border Force. The case was passed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for investigation over claims £2,621,808 duty had not been paid.
Lear MoreFake goods haul in 2018 at record high of P23.6 billion.
The government captured P23.6 billion of pirated and counterfeit goods last year—an all-time-high record—on the back of strong police operations against fake cigarettes and alcohol. The total haul of the interagency National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) in 2018 increased nearly 188 percent to P23.6 billion, from P8.2 billion in 2017. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), this was the best performance of the NCIPR since it was formed in 2008. Confiscated fake cigarettes and alcohol amounted to P20.25 billion and P3 million, respectively, and accounted for the lion’s share or almost 86 percent of the total haul. Further, authorities captured P1.2 billion worth of counterfeit pharmaceutical and personal-care items, as well as knockoff handbags and wallets valued at P821 million. They were also able to seize P790 million of pirated optical media.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/02/01/fake-goods-haul-in-2018-at-record-high-of-p23-6-billion/
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HK customs confiscates US$1.4 million worth of fake goods.
Customs officers arrested five people on Sunday during a raid for counterfeit goods in Kowloon’s Sham Shui Po and seized 18,000 items worth HK$11 million (US$1.4 million). About 50 officers raided a showroom and two storages at a commercial building in Sham Shui Po and confiscated 18,000 items, including handbags, wallets and sports shoes, Apple Daily reported. The daily Must-reads from across Asia – directly to your inbox Officers arrested one man and four women on the spot, including a Hong Kong man and two Hong Kong women, who they said were the syndicate heads, as well as two foreign women who worked as salespersons. They were said to be former domestic workers but had overstayed in the city.
Customs said the quality of the fake goods was poor. They added that the syndicate sold the fake goods for between HK$50 and HK$1,300.
https://menafn.com/1098045121/HK-customs-confiscates-US14-million-worth-of-fake-goods
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17 arrested for allegedly smuggling 3,740 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
Seventeen men were arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 3,700 cartons of contraband cigarettes via Sungei Jurong last Saturday . In a joint statement yesterday, the police and Singapore Customs said the 14 Indonesians and three Singaporeans had evaded duty and goods and services tax (GST) totalling about $396,200 and $28,820 respectively. The men, aged between 22 and 48, had allegedly tried to smuggle a total of 3,740 cartons and 448 packets of contraband cigarettes. The contraband cigarettes, two foreign-registered supply vehicles and two Singapore-registered vehicles were seized. Singapore Customs is investigating the case.
Lear MoreDh20,000 fine: Abu Dhabi busts fake makeup in malls.
Abu Dhabi: Authorities are cracking down against fake cosmetics in shopping centres across the emirate, seizing 2,523 products within January. The Abu Dhabi Economic Department carried out the inspection campaign in coordination with owners of the trademarks in a bid to combat counterfeit products and to preserve intellectual property rights. According to the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shops that distribute and sell fake products are liable to a fine ranging between Dh500 and Dh20,000. A recent study published by Global Online Shopping Survey earlier in January revealed that about 30 per cent of consumers unknowingly buying fake goods when making online purchases.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/dh20000-fine-abu-dhabi-busts-fake-makeup-in-malls-1.1548677545929
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