Author: adminficci

Health-Related Items Part Of Ongoing Kansas Tax Talks

A couple of items relevant to public health and the health insurance industry are in the mix as lawmakers seek a tax plan that will allow them to end the 2015 session.

Kansas legislators need to locate between $400 million and $500 million in new revenue to fund the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. As the House and Senate move toward the 90th day of the legislative session, most debate has focused on how much of that new revenue should come from rolling back income tax cuts passed in 2012  and how much should come from new sales taxes.

http://kcur.org/post/health-related-items-part-ongoing-kansas-tax-talks

Afghan transit trade main smuggling funnel

Afghan transit trade is the main source of smuggling into Pakistan. Besides causing annual revenue loss of up to $3 billion to the national exchequer, it is also promoting terrorism in the country as explosive devices and other material are also being smuggled through it, it has been revealed.
The smuggled items help the militants in preparing bombs, suicide jackets, IEDs and explosive-laden vehicles, says a report prepared by Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Quoting a World Bank document it said that smuggling in Afghan transit trade alone caused $35 billion revenue loss in the period between 2001 and 2009.

http://nation.com.pk/national/11-May-2015/afghan-transit-trade-main-smuggling-funnel

Two Zimbabweans appear in Namibian court over cigarette smuggling

Two suspects have appeared in a Namibian regional court Monday in connection with more than 1,000 cartons of cigarettes confiscated by the police Thursday last week. court
The two, both said to be Zimbabweans, appeared before a Rundu Magistrate in the northern Kavango region after their arrest over the 11.3 million Namibian dollars (940,000 U.S. dollars) cigarette contraband destined for South Africa.
The two were each charged with two counts of contravening the Custom and Excise Act 20 of 1998 and non-declaration of goods upon entering Namibia as well as the Prevention of Organized Crime Act 29 of 2004 of money laundering.
The accused persons were not asked to plead and their case was then postponed to July 8 for further police investigation.

http://www.spyghana.com/two-zimbabweans-appear-in-namibian-court-over-cigarette-smuggling/

Cross-border cigarette smuggling ring on trial in China

Nine Chinese nationals stood trial in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on charges of smuggling, tax evasion and illegal trading.The suspects allegedly smuggled nearly 30 million packets of cigarettes, with an estimated tax evasion of around 415 million yuan (about 67 million U.S. dollars), according to the Intermediate People’s Court of Fangchenggang City.
The suspects purchased cigarettes in Vietnam, smuggled them into China through the border city of Dongxing and transported them to Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, between February and October 2013, said the court.

http://www.ecns.cn/2015/05-11/164930.shtml

Illegal tobacco trade in city on Customs radar

A day after busting a major cigarette smuggling racket at One-Town here, the Customs Department is looking for clues to identify other places where the illegal trade is thriving. The focus is now on Guntur city, which is the hub of tobacco business in the State, and some areas in Vijayawada where the business has strong roots.
According to sources, some pockets in Vijayawada have become safe havens for illegal manufacture of cigarettes and other tobacco products. The Customs Department is gathering intelligence inputs on these hideouts. The department, however, is not in a hurry to conduct further raids fearing that suspects could escape along with the products once they sense the possibility of raids.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/illegal-tobacco-trade-in-city-on-customs-radar/article7191536.ece

Consumer Reports uncovers counterfeit tires case

Consumer Reports, the nation’s largest independent consumer publication, annually buys tires at random to test and rate for its readers.
But last year, strictly at random, Consumer Reports uncovered a flagrant case of tire counterfeiting, the publication’s tire program manager told attendees of the 31st annual Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference. “We didn’t say, “Let’s go out and find some counterfeit tires,’ “ Eugene Peterson said in his presentation at the conference, held April 15-17 at Hilton Head, S.C. “We said, “Let’s test some tires,’ and one of those tires just happened to be counterfeit.”

http://www.rubbernews.com/article/20150511/NEWS/305049990/consumer-reports-uncovers-counterfeit-tires-case

Over 2,500 cartons of smuggled cigarettes seized

In a major haul of non-duty paid goods by the Customs Department in recent times, foreign cigarettes worth about Rs 25 lakh were seized along with Indian-made ones valued at nearly Rs 16 lakh from a shop-cum-warehouse in One-Town here on Saturday.
Two persons, who claimed to be wholesale traders, have been detained for allegedly violating the provisions of Customs Act, 1962. Besides, the cigarette packs did not have statutory pictorial warnings on them, which amounted to violation of the Tobacco Products Act, 2008.
According to official sources, cigarette imports are allowed into the country with prior permission and on payment of customs duty but in the present case the procedures were not complied.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/over-2500-cartons-of-smuggled-cigarettes-seized/article7189254.ece

Sheriff’s deputy accused of smuggling drugs into prison

An Orleans Parish Sheriff’s deputy has been arrested and fired on suspicion of smuggling contraband to inmates inside the parish prison.
27-year-old Rubin Robertson was arrested Thursday and charged with six counts of introducing contraband into a correctional facility. Robertson had been a deputy with the agency for 10 months.
According to his arrest affidavit, investigators who searched Robertson’s vehicle Wednesday found 1 gram of marijuana, 4 dosage units of Hydrocodone, and tobacco “repackaged in a manner which allow concealment into a correctional facility.”