Tobacco Piracy Continues
If you distract the police with enough other problems, the “little things” get swept under the rug, much like broken windows I suppose. That seems to be the case with the ongoing plague of tobacco piracy in high sin tax states. New York is one of the biggest hotbeds for these activities, since a combination of state, county and city taxes have driven the price for a pack of Marlboros past $15 in many places. That’s too much temptation for criminals, and they are still flooding the zone wherever they can get away with it. Two sets of pirates still somehow managed to get caught this month though, and they are symptomatic of the larger problem. The first was a relatively small haul on Interstate 81. (From Penn Live) The second bust involved the feds and brought in a much larger haul after an extensive investigation. This one was nothing short of a major smuggling ring which had been going on for years and involved dozens of smugglers and local businessmen.
http://hotair.com/archives/2015/07/20/tobacco-piracy-quietly-continues-unabated/
Lear MoreBritish American Tobacco Employees Kidnapped
Three delivery and distribution workers from the British American Tobacco Group in Costa Rica were rescued by law enforcement officers after being taken hostage by two suspects, one of them armed with a pellet gun. According to metro reporter Alejandro Fonseca of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the incident occurred near the dairy farming community of Coronado, located in the outskirts of the capital city of Costa Rica. The report from Diario Extra explains that the three employees had completed a delivery of cigarette cartons and other tobacco products to a liquor store in Coronado when they were accosted by two armed individuals, who were dressed in clothing that resembled the uniforms of British American Tobacco Group employees in Costa Rica. The suspects commandeered the Daihatsu Terios delivery vehicle and forced the three delivery workers inside at gunpoint. Unbeknownst to the suspects, a passerby was watching the crime unfold from just around the corner while using a mobile phone to relay the actions to a dispatcher from Fuerza Publica (the national police force of Costa Rica).
http://news.co.cr/british-american-tobacco-employees-kidnapped-in-costa-rica/40279/
Lear MoreSherrif busts Jailer
Sheriff Bob Alford put in overtime this week to catch a jailer operating outside the law. “It was my privilege,” Alford said. His office was alerted to a jailer that was believed to have been working as a delivery man between families and inmates to smuggle tobacco and drugs into the jail. With the assistance of LaSalle Corrections and the STOP Task Force, a recording of a transaction in the jail parking area between jailer Kenneth Milburn and the family of an inmate was enough to allow Alford to arrest the jailer. “He fell into a trap. Inmates would offer him money to bring items in for them,” Alford said. During the recorded transaction, Milburn was paid $300 and had both the money and the contraband on his person, Alford said, when taken down inside the jail by the sheriff. The contraband is believed to be tobacco and methamphetamine. “The jail staff got wind of what was going on,” Alford said. “We worked with them to set up a sting and catch this jailer in the act.” He has been charged with a count of possession and another of delivery of a controlled substance between 1-4 grams. “I think it is important to remember we have 220 employees working in the controlled area of the jail, and he’s just one,” Alford said. “If we can’t police ourselves, we can’t police the public. He had disgraced the badge.” While the actions of Milburn reflect poorly on law enforcement, the actions of other jailers to catch him paint a true picture of the ethical standards held by Johnson County jailers, Alford said. It’s not the first time Alford has got involved to fight crime at the jail. He previously has played an undercover role of a hit man, foiling an inmate’s murder-for-hire plan.
http://www.burlesonstar.net/localnews/ci_28503297
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Fakes, Phonies & Frauds
As the world has grown smaller, more and more foreign-made goods are hitting our shores. Among them, you will find a flood of fakes, fueled in part by the Internet and the ease with which we can buy products directly. Last year, U.S. law enforcement agencies shut down 29,684 websites that were illegally selling counterfeit merchandise online. Not only do fakes cost U.S. businesses as much as $250 billion in lost trade annually, but many also are downright dangerous. Six percent of all fakes seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection last year were pharmaceuticals and personal-care products.
http://www.richmond.com/business/personal-finance/article_c9772fa5-39a4-5ae9-b557-f3c0b0f4d884.html
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Illegal cigarettes found in North Wales raids
A massive three-day operation to crack down on the illegal sale of tobacco has uncovered more than 1.6 million cigarettes, 700 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 3,000 litres of alcohol. Some 55 retail premises, private addresses and self-storage units from 15 locations across Flintshire, Wrexham, Conwy and Denbighshire were stormed by officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with support from North Wales Police the UK Border Agency and Trading Standards. The haul that was seized includes:* 1,646,000 cigarettes, with a potential £545,700 duty and VAT evaded * 700 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, with a potential £170,800 duty and VAT evaded * 3000 litres of alcohol, with a potential £38,600 duty and VAT evaded The activity was carried out over July 14, 15 and 16 in the Wrexham, Rhyl, Llandudno, Flint, Deeside, Mold, Holywell and Caernarfon areas. Eight tobacco dogs and their handlers also worked on the operation. Colin Spinks, assistant director of criminal investigation at HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year, and the sale of illicit alcohol which costs the UK around £1 billion per year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-cigarettes-alcohol-raids-9681430
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Fake Cosmetics Seized, HCM City
HCM City (VNS) — The National Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods and HCM City economic police have seized five tonnes of fake cosmetics in District 6, HCM City. The seizure from a storage area of Huyen Trang Cosmetic Company was part of a campaign started last week to uncover a large ring in HCM City, which was smuggling a variety of fake items of luxury brands such as Sasaki, Hikato and Puroz. These products were registered to be produced or imported from countries such as France, South Korea and Japan by Huyen Trang Company. However, the investigators found the fake goods had actually been made in China and smuggled to Viet Nam. The fake goods were labeled with original trademarks before being sold in the domestic market at very high prices. Huyen Trang Company Director, Pham Huyen Trang, 46, from HCM City’s District 1, was the owner of the fake goods and also the main organiser of the smuggling ring. Trang, who has broken the law against smuggling and fake goods, said she had once used some fake cosmetic goods from the Phu Thinh Cosmetic Trading Ltd Company based in Binh Chanh District in HCM City.
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/273213/fake-cosmetics-seized-in-hcm-city.html
Lear MoreUnsafe Battery Products
The frequency of battery related accidents have seen significant increase over the past few years. They are commonly observed in power banks/mobile phone batteries and laptop batteries. One of the most important factors to look for when selecting a power bank is its quality/safety feature. In order to cut cost, safety features are often neglected, if not totally ignored. Low battery quality and the absence of safety features are why fake power banks are cheaper. The market is filled with fake power banks, and many of them are advertised and priced as original, branded power banks. Many of them also come with original labelling/stickers which makes it very difficult to differentiate between fakes and original. Buying from certified retailers, authorized dealers, official website ensures that you will avoid getting a fake product. According to a research conducted, more than 60% of power banks submitted for qualification were untraceable. These power banks have no proper supplier info, vague specification, and are compliant to no safety certifications. Up to 50% of the submitted samples failed the qualification. Pisen power bank comes with 1 year warranty, and 7S Protection which offers overcharging, overheating, short circuit, over discharge, over power, over current and over voltage protection. Unhealthy batteries typically carry indicators such as bulges, deformation and leakage. Overheating/shorter standby time may also indicate battery damage. When in doubt, it is best to stop using said device, and consult your supplier directly.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Are-your-battery-products-safe-and-secure-369388
Lear MoreTobacco Smuggling Raids
Six men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a suspected £22m tobacco smuggling, tax evasion and money laundering fraud. Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) carried out simultaneous searches of 11 premises in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, London and the West Midlands on July 15, in an investigation codenamed Operation Nipper. During the operation a number of vehicles and paperwork were seized. Sandra Smith, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said: “This is a wide ranging investigation into suspected tobacco excise duty and VAT evasion, and associated money laundering.“The smuggling, transport, storage, or sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by HMRC. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs UK taxpayers around £2.1bn a year. “We encourage anyone with information about suspicious tobacco or cigarette products to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 595000.”
Lear MoreDublin Seizes 36,200 Cigarettes and 15kgs of Tobacco
In an intelligence-led operation today (16/07/15) targeting the sale of illegal cigarettes in the Moore Street area, officers from Revenue’s Customs Service, assisted by An Garda Síochána, seized approximately 30,000 cigarettes and 15kgs of tobacco with a retail value of over €22,000. The cigarettes and tobacco were uncovered when officers, acting under warrant, searched a private dwelling, two cars and two vans in Dublin’s inner city. Revenue’s tobacco dog Casey assisted in the search. In a separate operation yesterday (15/07/15) focusing on the illegal importation of cigarettes, officers from Revenue’s Customs Service seized 6,200 cigarettes. The cigarettes were detected in the postal system by Revenue’s tobacco dog Elvis. A controlled delivery to a premises on the north side of Dublin city was subsequently carried out, followed by a search of premises under warrant. A Polish female was interviewed at the premises and a file is being prepared with a view to prosecution.
Lear MoreFake Surgical Hardware in Hospitals
The University of Maryland’s Baltimore Washington Medical Center is sending letters to about 250 spinal fusion patients who received hardware from a defunct California company accused of selling fake parts. The Glen Burnie hospital is continuing to investigate whether any counterfeit parts were used in patients and sent the letters to “address any concerns.” Officials said they’ve found no evidence yet its patients were affected. A number of hospitals across the country, including Baltimore Washington Medical Center, have been sued by health insurers alleging the hospitals used the fake parts and overbilled for them. The suit also named one of the hospital’s spinal surgeons, Dr. Randy Davis. Local law firms are also investigating and reaching out to patients. The parts in question were distributed by a company called Spinal Solutions LLC, which was cited in 2012 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for quality control problems. The following year, the company recalled parts used in lower spine fusions, specifically saying that some had been distributed in Maryland. In announcing the recall, the FDA said inadequacies in the parts “might result in product performance failures that could cause patient harm due to implant breakage, movement, or inadequate sterilization.”
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