Cigarettes smuggling ‘the new cocaine trade’; ‘paltry ‘ fines blamed
The sale of illegal cigarettes has been labelled “the new cocaine” trade in Ireland. That’s the conclusion of a new report that’s been submitted to a committee investigating cross-Border smuggling. It warns that laws in the area aren’t being enforced rigorously enough, and almost 1 in 4 cigarettes smoked here have been smuggled in. Benny Gilsenan from Retailers Against Smuggling agreed criminals were not being put off by the consequences of getting caught. “According to the European policing agencies, Ireland is deemed to be a very soft target because of the penalties dished out to those when they’re caught,” he said. “The fines are only paltry – €2,500 is something they’ll make in a day.”
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Illegal tobacco seized during operation in Glasgow
Twelve premises were targeted and 16,500 cigarettes, as well as 3.5kg of hand rolling tobacco were discovered. Officers visited shops, pubs and markets and found 10,000 illegal cigarettes under a floor board at one premises. A campaign aimed at tackling the illicit tobacco trade was launched by crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers. Authorities believe educating smokers is key to cracking down on illicit tobacco. Crimestoppers bosses said many people may not be fully aware of the links between illegal cigarettes and serious and organised crime gangs.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13501715.Illegal_tobacco_seized_during_operation_in_Glasgow/
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Authorities fume: 25% of cigarettes smuggled into Republic
Almost one of four cigarettes smoked in Ireland has been smuggled in as part of an illegal trade that is costing the exchequer some €250 million a year, according to a former lead investigator for the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab).In a report submitted to Senator Paul Coghlan, the chair of a British-Irish parliamentary committee investigating cross-Border smuggling, the investigator says cigarettes have become the new cocaine trade but without the risk.The report says the law is not being enforced rigorously enough and the smugglers are being allowed to operate with very little chance of detection on both sides of the Border.
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Your Almond Milk is Probably (Definitely) Fake
We all know that almond milk contains water, but did you have any idea that there’s only 2 percent almonds in an entire jug of the nutty stuff? A recent class action suit against Blue Diamond Growers claims that the brand is falsely advertising the contents in Almond Breeze, its dairy-free milk. While Blue Diamond doesn’t list what percentage of the almond milk is made from almonds in the United States, the U.K. Almond Breeze website reveals that it’s just 2 percent. So what exactly is in the bottle? The plaintiffs, Tracy Albert and Dimitrios Malaxianis, argue that it’s mostly water, sugar, carrageenan (a polysaccharide used for thickening), and sunflower lecithin (an emulsifier). The lawsuit was filed in New York on July 14, and though it doesn’t specify what percentage of almonds would be deemed acceptable for purchase, it does state that an extensive review of almond milk recipes require “one part almonds to three or four parts water, amounting to 25 to 33 percent almonds.”
http://www.delish.com/food-news/a43257/almond-milk-mislabeled-false-advertising/
Lear MoreDesigner products versus fakes
A Miami fashion blogger distinguishes knock-off products from designer goods after a Call Christina viewer was concerned that the bag she was buying wasn’t the designer label that she thought it was
http://www.local10.com/news/designer-products-versus-fakes/34384168
Lear MoreCustoms seize over J$250m in counterfeit goods
The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) confiscated over J$250 million worth of counterfeit goods at the island’s ports of entry between January 2014 and April 2015. Commissioner of Customs and JCA Chief Executive Officer, Major (Ret’d) Richard Reese, said that the items include: over 20,000 pairs of footwear valued at approximately $80 million; 1, 920 bottles of perfume, fragrances, and toilet water, valued $3.84 million; 200 handbags, valued at $2.1 million; 80 pieces of clothing costing $49 million; and approximately four million sticks of cigarette, valued at $120 million. Other items include over 3,000 handbags; 18,000 pieces of assorted clothing; 1,000 belts; 5, 200 hats; and over 11,000 disposable razors, as well as pharmaceuticals. Some of the products were intended for the local market, while others were destined for other countries.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Customs-seize-over-J-250m-in-counterfeit-goods
Lear MoreMalaysians nabbed for Smuggling
At least three Malaysians were picked up for trying to smuggle drugs, tobacco and cigarettes via the Causeway into Singapore. Aged 20, 29 and 40, they were detained separately at the Woodlands checkpoint in the past few days. The latest case happened on Wednesday when Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers detained the 20-year-old who had 0.9kg of cannabis on him. The ICA in a statement said the officers suspected something amiss when they noticed a bulge around the man’s waist. It turned out to be cannabis wrapped in newspaper and plastic. The drugs, which have a street value of S$29,000 (RM81,000), can feed the addiction of about 128 users for a week.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/07/24/Three-Malaysians-nabbed-for-smuggling-in-Singapore/
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Consett shop owner jailed after housing illicit tobacco and booze worth nearly £1m
A shop owner who evaded a duty bill worth nearly £1m when he was caught with illicit cigarettes and booze is today behind bars. Jaafar Mousa Mohammad Jaafar used an industrial estate to house the massive haul of tobacco and alcohol. The stash included 3,254 litres of spirits, 6,409 litres of wine, 8,784 litres of beer, nearly three tonnes of tobacco and more than £1.5m cigarettes worth £943,623 in unpaid duty and VAT .The unit on Morgan Lonprell Yard, on Clockmill Road, in Dunston, Gateshead, was equipped for someone to live in with a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. And HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the set-up allowed the 64-year-old to act as a “round-the-clock caretaker” and distributor of the illicit goods. Jailing Jaafar for two years four months, Recorder Ian Harris said he was trusted and people relied on him in the “organised fraud”.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/consett-shop-owner-jailed-after-9724377
Lear MoreCameroon: Cosmetics – Individual Effort to Fight Counterfeit Goods
Some consumers destroy the packaging by cutting after using product. Fake cosmetics products in genuine packaging inundate markets in the Economic capital, Douala. The fake products that are hardly detected, but for the giveaway prices that is one of the principal determinants have caused serious health hazards ranging from skin rashes, through changing skin colour to the chopping of hair both on the skin and the head. To watch out for fake products by dubious businessmen whose only goal is to get rich at the expense of the population, some consumers have resorted to destroying containers of body lotions, hair products and perfume bottles after using. They break or cut plastic containers into two and as well break breakable packaging after emptying the content.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201508051052.html
Lear MoreDrive against smuggled sub-standard food items
Despite the fact that the Government’s ban on sale of food items smuggled from Myanmar, this underworld business is still continuing in the State. Food Safety Officer Chandel on Saturday conducted a drive against smuggling of sub-standard food items from Myanmar which are often put up for sale at Bongjang village along Imphal-Moreh National Highway. During the drive, sub-standard food items including packaged dried fruits, pickles, snacks and dairy products smuggled from Myanmar were disgorged for disposal after checking all the vehicles coming from Moreh. Briefing the media persons, Elvison Maring, Food Safety Officer of Chandel said that the drive to check the smuggling of sub-standard food items were conducted in accordance with the order of the State Government issued on February 2, 2013 .
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=11..260715.jul15
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