Customs 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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Honeywell Safety Products appoints new global president
Honeywell has appointed Sach Sankpal as Global President for its Safety Products division, part of the Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions’ Life Safety business. Sankpal joined the company in 2010 as VP of Strategy and Marketing for Honeywell Life Safety and for the past two years has led the Safety Products business for EMEAI. In his new role, Sankpal said his top priority will be to build upon the company’s position in the global safety industry by expanding its portfolio of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as training, services and value-added programmes.
Lear MoreJoint operation stubs out illegal tobacco caches in Flint
THOUSANDS of illegal cigarettes and three kilograms of tobacco have been seized from three stores.
About 63,000 cigarettes as well as 3kg of hand rolling tobacco were seized from three stores in Flint in a joint operation between Flintshire Council’s Trading Standards officers and North Wales Police.
The tobacco had been hidden away in a specially constructed shop counter which contained a hidden compartment with an electronically controlled sliding door.
Pepper had been liberally sprayed all over the products in an attempt to hide the tobacco from specialist sniffer dogs used to identify illicit goods.
Investigations in to the source of the cigarettes are ongoing.
Inspector Ceri Hawe from North Wales Police said: “We attended three premises in Flint to assist Flintshire Trading Standards in executing warrants. Significant quantities of illicit tobacco were recovered.
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Customs in EU seize mailed counterfeit goods
Customs signMore than 70,000 counterfeit products have been intercepted during a joint customs operation (JCO) in Europe codenamed ERMIS. JCO ERMIS was carried out by the Greek Customs Administration and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and also involved customs experts from the EU as well as Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. The operation took place in March and focused on identifying fake goods shipped through postal and courier traffic.
EU customs authorities intensified control operations and exchanged intelligence on parcels coming in from third countries during the operation.
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Man charged after police sold counterfeit cigarettes
A man’s been charged after police were sold counterfeit cigarettes in Burgess Hill.
The plain clothed Officer carried out a test purchase operation on the 13th May at Burgess Hill Market in Church Walk, working in conjunction with West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Officers. and supported by the Burgess Hill Neighbourhood Policing Team.
27 year old Amir Asadi f Sultan Rd, London E11, was charged with two offences under the Trade Mark Act 1994 and will appear in Court on the 23rd July. Another member of staff accepted a police caution on 2 July.
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Bristol tobacco dealer’s freedom up in smoke after raids
A Bristol man has been jailed for eight months after council officers discovered an illegal stash of 750,000 cigarettes and 250kg of tobacco
A Bristol man has been jailed for eight months after council officers discovered an illegal stash of three quarters of a million cigarettes and quarter of a tonne of tobacco. Hardi Mohamed’s business Healthy Foods (Bristol) Ltd was raided by Bristol Trading Standards in June 2013. In shops and lock-ups based in Horfield, Fishponds and Redfield, they found 746,620 individual counterfeit cigarettes – the equivalent of more than 37,000 packets of 20 – and 250kg of hand rolling tobacco. Mr Mohamed was sentenced to prison and fined a total of £38,000, as well as being ordered to pay £23,620 in costs to Bristol City Council. Investigations into the supply chain are continuing.
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