Six admit tobacco and cigarette-smuggling conspiracy
FIVE people from South Tyneside appeared in court yesterday and admitted dealing in illegal tobacco and cigarettes. Newcastle Crown Court heard the group conspired together to evade duty on the products between January 2010 and October 2012. Four of them also admitted conspiring to conceal the cash proceeds of the illegal enterprise. Kirsten Linney, 22, of High Meadow, Michael Linney, 46, of Mill Dam, Victoria Linney, 42, of Mill Dam, and Paul Lowery, 38, of Marlborough Street, all South Shields, pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges. Glenn Chrisp, 40, of Pear Tree Mews, Ashbrooke, Sunderland, also admitted conspiracy. Kris Linney, 28 of Albert Road, Jarrow, admitted conspiracy in relation to the evasion of duty, but prosecutors accepted his ‘not guilty’ plea in relation to the cash charge.
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Police foil bid to smuggle tobacco products to Lanka
Police arrested five fishermen and seized 300 kg tobacco products meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka in a clandestine boat valued at Rs 20 lakh at Akkalmadam north sea shore at Pamban, here today.
Police said during a routine patrol along the shore, a police team found five persons loading five bags in a Vallam (Country boat fitted with outboard engine). The police rounded up all the persons on suspicion and during the check tobacco products like Hans weighing 300 kg were found packed in the bags.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20140616/2409033.html
Lear MoreFake Britain’s knock-off goods: From Shardonnay to brick dust covered in road paint and sold as heart drug
It’s enough to make you choke on your Chardonnay. Trading standards officers have revealed that as many as one in five bottles of wine on sale in corner shops is fake. Well known brands such as Jacob’s Creek have, in some cases, been imitated and replaced with harsh pretend plonk. Some of the fakes are relatively sophisticated, others less impressive.
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Oakdale man prosecuted over counterfeit tobacco
An Oakdale man has been prosecuted for counterfeit tobacco offences, following a Caerphilly Trading Standards investigation.
Carl Kilby, 47, of Penmaen Avenue, Oakdale, was taken to court following an investigation by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards which revealed he was supplying counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes.
A warrant was executed in March this year at Kilby’s home address in Oakdale, with assistance from Gwent Police and a specialist tobacco detection dog.
Six 50g Amber Leaf tobacco pouches, together with 1,798 Regal King Size cigarettes and 180 Richmond cigarettes were found at first.
A further 41 hidden pouches of Golden Virginia tobacco were found by the tobacco detection dog.
http://www.caerphillyobserver.
Efforts to stop sale of smuggled cigarettes
Between 1 April and 30 June, the Da Nang Market Management Bureau has inspected many establishments which sell tobacco products imported from foreign countries. As a result, over 2,000 packs of illegally traded cigarettes were seized, mainly brands including Esse, Jet and 555. Fines totalling over 68.8 million VND were imposed on the violators.
Over the first 6 months of this year, the local police force has cracked down on cigarette smuggling cases in the city. Da Nang has seen a lower number of cigarette smuggling cases than other localities across the country, especially those which border Laos, China and Cambodia. However, the city is considered to be a profitable market for smuggled cigarettes. The transport of smuggled foreign-made cigarettes to localities nationwide through border gates has yet to be controlled effectively.
http://www.baodanang.vn/english/society/201407/efforts-to-stop-sale-of-smuggled-cigarettes-2343865/
Lear MoreCustoms seizes more smuggled garlic
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intensifies its drive against the illegal entry of agricultural products in the country as it seized an estimated 125 metric tons or 125,000 kilograms of smuggled garlic at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) worth over P37-Million.
BOC issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention on five (5) 40-foot refrigerated container vans of garlic that arrived in the country without a Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) Import Clearance or Permit from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Importing garlic without the proper import permits from the DA is in violation of Presidential Decree No. 1433 (Promulgating the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978, thereby Revising and Consolidating Existing Plant Quarantine Laws to Further Improve and Strengthen Service of the Bureau of Plant Industry), which states that traders who wish to import agricultural products must first secure permits from the DA.
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Chinese anti-counterfeit company lists in Australia
Chinese covert tracer company YPB Group will shortly list on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) after closing a A$3.7m ($3.5m) initial public offering.
YPB is a Hong Kong-based that has developed a covert marker technology that can be added to branded products and authenticated using a proprietary scanner. The company is also developing an iOS and Android phone app to allow consumers to tell genuine and fake products apart, which should be available in the second half of this year.
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Jeweller Pandora takes fight to counterfeiters
Danish jewellery company Pandora has chalked up a victory in its long-running war against criminals who illegally copy its products.
A police operation in Dorset in the UK discovered three people selling counterfeit Pandora beads through a number of different online marketplace accounts.
An investigation revealed the three individuals had made around £47,000 selling beads, claimed to be genuine Pandora items that had in fact been sourced from China. The Danish company produces all of its charm bracelet products from facilities in Thailand. In each case, fines of a few hundred pounds and a victim surcharge penalty were levied on those charged.
http://www.securingindustry.com/clothing-and-accessories/-/s107/a2087/#.U8TOG5SSxCg
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EU seizes counterfeit goods from Far East
A major joint customs operation code named ERMIS has seized 70,000 contraband goods, in an operation that was carried-out by the Greek Customs Administration, and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), after the European Commission released details of the customs raids.
The 70,000 goods were taken in March in 634 separate seizures of contraband parcels. The goods included mobile phones, sunglasses, and small vehicle spare parts, medicines and pharmaceutical products.
The intelligence involved in the operation focused on postal and courier mail traffic, designed to identify any fabricated products that had been shipped through in small consignments.
http://www.praguepost.com/eu-news/40097-eu-seizes-counterfeit-goods-from-far-east#ixzz37W9vfuXM
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Viewpoint: A shot in the arm for generics producers
Domino inksThere is nowhere to hide from the Falsified Medicines Directive. It impacts generics producers in the same way as any other drug manufacturer or re-packager selling into Europe. With just under 48 months to go before the deadline, which is likely to be mid-2018, the clock is ticking for all producers to get their house in order.
The subject was hot on the agenda at the European Generics Association (EGA) meeting in Madrid earlier this month. As generics manufacturers often supply products with much lower margins than patented drug producers, their budgets are restricted when it comes to new investment – which is why many of them have been holding out until the last minute to find the ‘best-fit’ solution for their businesses.
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