39% rise in contraband seizures at Dubai airport
A senior official on Monday said Dubai Customs (DC) foiled 541 attempts to bring prohibited items into the country from January 1 to March 31 this year. The emirate has seen 39 per cent spike in the number of contraband seizures made at Dubai International Airport in the first quarter of this year as compared to the corresponding period last year. A senior official on Monday said Dubai Customs (DC) foiled 541 attempts to bring prohibited items into the country from January 1 to March 31 this year, as compared to 389 interceptions over the same period in 2013.
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Alibaba takes tougher stance against online sale of counterfeit goods
Chinese online retail group’s stricter standards on piracy and fake goods may even surpass those of Amazon and eBay
Alibaba is taking a tougher line against counterfeit items sold on its online marketplaces as the Chinese e-commerce group heads towards a US stockmarket listing that could be the world’s biggest technology flotation.
Some security experts say the Chinese group’s stricter standards onpiracy and fake goods may even surpass those of Amazon and eBay. In its filing for an initial public offering last week, Alibaba said the perception that its sites are cluttered with counterfeit items could hurt its ability to win over customers, investors and US retail partners. The group, founded by entrepreneur Jack Ma 15 years ago, has stepped up efforts to tackle the counterfeit problem in recent years.
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Hotlines set up to check for counterfeit medicines in India, Nigeria
NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Social enterprises in India and Nigeria have come up with text messaging services to help patients check that their medicines are safe and are not products of the counterfeit drugs industry which kills many thousands of people annually. From expensive pills used to treat life-threatening conditions like cancer to cheap painkillers, fake and poor quality drugs are entering the supply chain where unsuspecting customers risk their lives buying them over the counter or the Internet.
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Assam sees rise in economic offences
GUWAHATI: White collar crimes and economic offences are on the rise in the state. In 2013, the number of cases related to cheating and economic offences was more than 3,500.
These offences were mostly fraud cases by dubious non-banking financial companies, fake recruitment agencies and real estate dealers, forging of signature, certificates and stamp papers. The state police and other government agencies seem to have completely failed to control the menace that has led to unchecked flow of fake currencies in the state. According to police records, at least 2,321 cases of cheating, 1,432 criminal breach of trust (CBT) and 85 counterfeiting cases were registered last year.
Lear MoreDerby is ‘hotspot for illicit tobacco, with 35 stores selling it’
TRADING standards officers have warned about the dangers of counterfeit cigarettes in Derby after a report revealed that the city was a “hotspot” for the problem, with about 35 stores selling them.
It says that “Derby is a hotspot for illicit tobacco, whether smuggled, bootlegged or counterfeit” and that “illegal tobacco is widely available in many areas, especially poorer communities across the city”. The report, drawn up for the city council’s planning, housing and leisure board, warns that counterfeit cigarettes do not comply with European safety standards. This means that “if left unattended, they will continue to burn through to the end – increasing the risk to the smoker of causing a fire”.
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Latin American Illegal Alcohol Market Valued at US $2.4 Billion Dollars
Alcoholic Drinks Market Experienced US $736 Million Total Fiscal Loss in 2012
Market Research Company Euromonitor International released today a special report on the illegal alcohol market for six countries in Latin America, revealing volume and value of illegal alcohol by country and the types of illegal alcohol and potential drivers for purchase and consumption in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru. According to the research, the illegal market accounted for 25.5% of the total market in terms of volume by litres of alcohol equivalent (LAE) and 14.1% in terms of value (illegal retail sales price or RSP). On average, the retail prices of illegal products were 30.3% lower than their legal counterparts in 2012. In 2012, the market represented a total fiscal loss of US $736 million dollars, with counterfeit and contraband the main categories responsible for the loss. As counterfeit refills have very similar pricing to legal brands, many consumers do not realize that the product they are purchasing is not original. Some formal channels such as wholesalers, retailers and on premise outlets sell illegal alcoholic beverages alongside legal products, further misleading consumers. However, there has been increased consumer awareness thanks to campaign efforts and local news about illegal alcohol.
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Waterpipe tobacco and 400,000 cigarettes seized in Edmonton 6
Over 1,600 kg of contraband waterpipe tobacco (shisha) and more than 400,000 contraband cigarettes — with a potential value of over $600,000 in lost tax revenue to the province — have been seized in Edmonton by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission. The contraband products were found as a result of search warrants on two Edmonton area locations and vehicles this past March. Imad Assi and Ahmed Morsy Elshebiny have been charged with several violations, including criminal code charges for fraud over $5,000 as well as charges under the provincial Tobacco Tax Act for possession of over 1,000 grams of tobacco, and unlawful sale of tobacco products. Both are scheduled to appear in Edmonton Provincial Court on May 15.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/05/12/waterpipe-tobacco-and-400000-cigarettes-seized-in-edmonton
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Financial Crisis Sparks Cigarette Smuggling in Greece
Nearly a quarter of tobacco products used in Greece are likely to have been smuggled in to the country, according to the latest data from the Center For Planning and Economic Research (KEPE). KEPE’s survey aimed to define the extent of the problem and to gauge its effects on Greece’s economy and public revenues, and to suggest realistic solutions. Using data from the Hellenic Statistic Authority (ELSTAT) and the Ministry of Finance, KEPE revised its estimates of the scale of the illicit trade in tobacco products up to 10.8 percent of the smoking market in 2010, 14.9 percent in 2011 and 17.2 percent in 2012. KEPE predicts that cigarette smuggling will have exceeded 23 percent in 2013. A far as tobacco taxes are concerned, Greece had the highest specific excise duty and the lowest ad valorem duty in the EU, the agency noted.
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/05/09/financial-crisis-sparks-cigarette-smuggling-in-greece/
Lear MoreFake Gucci, Nike Distributor Jailed
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley businessman who coordinated the importation of 11 containers of counterfeit apparel – including Nike, Gucci and Coach products worth more than $2.3 million – was sentenced today to 31 months in federal prison. Today’s sentencing is the second in the past two weeks in which a smuggling operation resulted in a federal prison term. Last week, a Glendale man who brought bogus AMG wheels into the country received a one-year prison sentence. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods.
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Millions of cigarettes confiscated
A total number of 13 Million illegal cigarette sticks have been confiscated from January to March 2014, data released today said. Customs alone have been responsible for confiscating 98% of it. Meanwhile in an effort to create awareness among its employees on the impact of illegal smuggling and trading of cigarettes (illicit trade), Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) recently conducted an ‘Anti-Illicit Trade (AIT) in Tobacco Week’ at its head office in Colombo. The company also launched a dedicated hotline 077 2 440794 for employees to report the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco products in Sri Lanka. It is estimated that globally Governments lose US$ 40 billion in revenue from unpaid taxes due to the illegal cigarette trade. It is noteworthy to mention that this amount is sufficient to provide 75kg of rice to every person in Africa.
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