Tobacco smuggling gang arrested
British law enforcement officers were also involved in the arrests. In total, officers seized two million cigarettes without tax stamps, more than half a ton of tobacco and two tobacco processing machines. Officers from the Police Central Bureau of Investigation have been gathering information on the criminal group for some time.
http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/203892,Tobacco-smuggling-gang-arrested
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Smuggling has negative impact on revenue collection – Chanda
GOVERNMENT is concerned about the revenue losses it is incurring through rampant smuggling of goods into the country, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Gerry Chanda has said. Colonel Chanda said Government through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) is losing colossal sums of money due to smuggling. Col. Chanda said this at his office on Wednesday when British American Tobacco (BAT) country managing director Clara Milambo paid a courtesy call on him.
“Smuggling is of great concern to the country because we are losing colossal sums of money,” Col. Chanda said.
https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=26373
Lear MoreIllicit cigarette wars intensify
A vicious battle for market share is taking place in the tobacco industry as cigarette companies fight for survival. Investigations by The Zimbabwean have revealed that the war, which pits local companies against established multinationals, involves spying activities of which James Bond would be proud. “There is very hot ‘cold war’ out there. The big companies like BAT want to maintain a monopoly of the tobacco industry but we as locals are saying that must not happen. You need to be made of steel to survive in this industry,” said Adam Molai, the executive chairman of Savanna Tobacco, in an interview last week.
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Fakes come at a high price
One of the intractable aspects of the trade in counterfeit luxury goods is that even when buyers are alerted to the fake provenance of designer handbags, many will continue with the purchase. The authorities are cracking down on the trade as reported in The National’s business section today, but a long-term solution is needed. The sale of counterfeit goods not only denies companies the rewards of their meticulously developed brands but is also exploited by organised crime and possibly terrorists, too. Clearly, buying counterfeit goods is far from the victimless crime that some people claim when justifying their purchases.
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/fakes-come-at-a-high-price
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Protecting brand New Zealand
Counterfeiting is one of the fastest growing economic crimes of modern times. Innovative and cost-effective technology solutions are now able to tackle the issue head on. By now we’re all familiar with how illegal copying has both disrupted and impacted the music business. When it comes to counterfeiting food products, our local food and beverage exporters are now very much at risk, along with the reputation of ‘brand New Zealand’ as a trusted source of goods.
The threat to both businesses and consumers is very real. Consumers could purchase an item that may not be up to quality standards, or face health and safety risks when using a contaminated or fake product. As a result, businesses can face legal action, loss of revenue and reputation damage.
http://itbrief.co.nz/story/protecting-brand-new-zealand/
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Cigarette Smuggling vs. Tobacco Taxes: Which Is Worse?
Rampant cigarette smuggling isn’t the problem in New York–“sky-high” tobacco taxes are, according to an op-ed by Patrick M. Gleason, director of state affairs at Americans for Tax Reform, in The Wall Street Journal.
Gleason’s opinion piece, titled “A Laffer Curve for Smokes,” digested here, takes the city and state of New York to task for their $180-million lawsuit against UPS over what officials allege was unlawful delivery of nearly 700,000 cartons of cigarettes. (A Laffer curve, named for economist Arthur Laffer, shows the relationship between rates of taxation and levels of government revenue.)
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Undercover investigators highlight illicit tobacco trade in Gateshead
Illegal cigarettes seized as part of a raid on Tyneside could contain human faeces, rat droppings or dead flies. A team of undercover investigators uncovered “widespread” trade in illicit tobacco on a two-day visit to Gateshead. Former Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector Will O’Reilly led the test purchase operation on Tuesday and Wednesday across the borough. Since November 2011, Will has been conducting the research on behalf of Philip Morris International (PMI) – the global cigarette and tobacco company, which includes Marlboro among its products – to check on new counterfeits and to raise economic and health issues related to the black market.
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Cigarette Smuggling vs. Tobacco Taxes: Which Is Worse?
Rampant cigarette smuggling isn’t the problem in New York–“sky-high” tobacco taxes are, according to an op-ed by Patrick M. Gleason, director of state affairs at Americans for Tax Reform, in The Wall Street Journal.
Gleason’s opinion piece, titled “A Laffer Curve for Smokes,” digested here, takes the city and state of New York to task for their $180-million lawsuit against UPS over what officials allege was unlawful delivery of nearly 700,000 cartons of cigarettes. (A Laffer curve, named for economist Arthur Laffer, shows the relationship between rates of taxation and levels of government revenue.)
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Xiaomi’s biggest rival is not Apple or Samsung, it is counterfeiters: Bloomberg
In a new revelation, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun has confirmed that besides chief rivals Apple and Samsung, the biggest competition the company faces today is from counterfeiters. Bloomberg reports that fake products are eating into Xiaomi’s sales massively, so much so, that if they didn’t exist the sales figure for Xiaomi’s products would double or triple.
Giving an example, Jun said that the sale of Mi Power Banks was less than half of what it should have been last year. “What is the biggest problem? There are many fakes,” he said. “If there were no counterfeits, our sales would be double or triple. The product has been recognized by everyone.”
http://www.bgr.in/news/xiaomis-biggest-rival-is-not-apple-or-samsung-it-is-counterfeiters-bloomberg/
Lear MoreTobacco smugglers captured
THIRTY-THREE members of an alleged tobacco smuggling group have been arrested in Algeciras by the Guardia Civil. Operation Kozel saw 15 bars and establishments where tobacco was sold, searched and 41 vehicles, €33,000 in cash and tobacco smuggled across the border from Gibraltar confiscated. Police investigations began when the Guardia Civil detected a group of people in La Linea de la Concepcion they suspected were bringing tobacco across the border to distribute it all over Andalucia. The group, which used hidden compartments in vehicles and also hid tobacco inside their clothing to avoid detection at customs, is believed to have earned approximately €192,000 per year.
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