Author: adminficci

Australian Border Force have seized a record haul of an illegal and illicit substance this Easter weekend, with a warning to those trying to smuggle it in. A massive haul of illegal cigarettes and tobacco has been seized by the Australian Border Force in its biggest weekend haul to date.
ABF officers seized a total of $48.8 million in illicit tobacco products between Good Friday and Easter Monday through its NSW Container Examination Facility. There were 28 million cigarettes worth $32.6 million and 9,762kg of tobacco worth $16.2 million were detected across multiple shipments.
The goods had been declared as consignments containing everyday items like toilet paper, sofa chairs and car scanners. The various shipments arrived from China, Singapore, and Korea and were not linked to one particular crime syndicate.
The criminals behind the shipments have been identified by the ABF according to Superintendent Jared Leighton. “Tobacco and cigarette smuggling is not a victimless crime – with profits from illegal sales in Australia often being used to fund other criminal activity both here and overseas,” Superintendent Leighton said.
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/border-force-seizes-48-million-in-illegal-cigarettes-and-tobacco/news-story/a420b863a202d481f1875d681c60a086

Police have repurposed about 300 tonnes of counterfeit goods seized from shops masquerading as legitimate businesses. The items, retrieved from Cheetham Hill and Strangeways in Manchester, have now been recycled for the community.
The work forms part of Operation Vulcan, which has shut down more than 100 fake designer shops in the city. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said there was still a “long way to go” to eradicate criminality from the area.
Operation Vulcan was implemented in November to crack down on counterfeit shops which the force said had “blighted the communities for decades”.
GMP said a top priority for the operation was to minimise waste and make sure the counterfeit items could be put to better use.
Working with a specialist company, Lighthouse Security, police have been able to rebrand seized items such as hats, T-shirts and gloves and give them to charities and local community organisations.
Those which are unsuitable or unsafe have been shredded and then reused to create items such as dog bedding or horse blankets.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-65249750

Greater Manchester Police said officers had closed down 18 shops in Manchester’s Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas in a two-week period.
It said it found “dilapidated”, rat-infested buildings with “dangerous homemade electricity, hidden weapons and [no] proper means of escape”.
The force said the seized items would be repurposed or recycled.
Insp Andy Torkington said officers had been “relentlessly targeting these illegitimate shops, but we are aware of the few remaining units who are attempting to operate in the area”.
“We will be targeting these premises imminently and our investigations will continue as we seek out and arrest those involved,” he said.
He said the force was “seeing excellent progress in the area” and the feedback from the public had been “overwhelmingly supportive, but there is still more to be done”.
He said the latest raids were part of “five months of relentless action”, but “criminality” had been embedded in the area “for decades” so more needed to be done.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-65225192

Date: 6 April 2023 | R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

FICCI CASCADE organised a seminar on “Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling” on 5th April 2023 to raise awareness and outreach amongst the policy makers, industry, media and enforcement officials in building a proactive strategy to curb this growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling. The winners of the competition were awarded at the seminar. 

Mr. Gopal Meena, Commissioner, Muzaffarpur, Govt of Bihar was the chief guest at the programme. Mr. Meena highlighted that counterfeiting and smuggling poses significant health and safety threats to consumers and such awareness programs will play a paramount role in protecting them from the hazards posed by illicit trade. He stated that before buying any product consumers should check the originality of the product by using advanced technological solutions such as bar codes, QR codes, holograms etc. He further urged them to take strong and effective measures to combat this growing menace.

Mr. Pankaj Sinha, Inspector General of Police, Bihar in his address stated that smuggling and counterfeiting impacts the economic stability of the country. India has vast porous borders which further adds to the problem of smuggling. Mr. Sinha mentioned that effective enforcement action, increased border management, better surveillance mechanisms, latest technology, enhanced consumer awareness and more youth engagement are few measures to address the twin hazards of smuggling and counterfeiting.

Mr. Pranav Kumar, Collector, Muzaffarpur opined that awareness is the key in eradicating the growing menace of illicit trade impacting our day-to-day life, which needs to be addressed on a priority. He emphasized to ask a bill while making a purchase to safeguard the consumers from being duped by illicit market operators. Mr. Kumar congratulated FICCI CASCADE for taking the initiative to spread knowledge and empower the public by organizing such an enlightening seminar in the state of Bihar.

While giving the overview on smuggling and counterfeiting, Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) highlighted that they are a huge area of concern as it impacts the health and safety of the general public, along with revenue losses to industry and tax losses to the government. The individuals engaged in such illicit trading activities have established criminal networks that have expanded globally. Mr. Jha apprised that staying vigilant is the need of the hour for fighting the menace of smuggling & counterfeiting.

Mr. Rajiva Ranjan Verma, Former Director General, RPF, NCRB, Civil Defense, Home Guard & Fire Services and BPR&D accentuated that by raising awareness about the harmful impact of illicit trade, we can keep the public informed and educated about the dangers and consequences of illicit trade. Mr. Verma mentioned that undoubtedly, the vision and support of youth is paramount in freeing the nation from the grip of illicit trade.

FICCI CASCADE is implementing various measures to raise widespread awareness in society about the grave danger of smuggling and counterfeiting, with the aim of preventing their detrimental impact. FICCI CASCADE has arranged a series of programmes throughout the country to underscore the escalating threat of illegal trade and to promote effective preventive measures to tackle this issue.

Hyderabad: West Zone Task Force police have busted a gang involved in manufacturing and selling fake food and other general store items of popular brands in Hyderabad.
Police have arrested four people so far. They have been identified as Ajay Kumar Bhure (30), who works at Jayalaxmi Transport, Attapur, Syed Imran (24), in charge of the warehouse at Katedan, Premraj Purohit (34) of Nimboliadda, and Premraj Purohith (32) of Afzalganj are distributors.
The gang leaders Kamal Bhati (46) of Kachiguda and Mahender Singh Rathore are still at large.
According to West Zone Task Force DCP Radha Kishan Rao, on credible information, they apprehended four people and seized goods worth Rs. 16 lakh.
The seized items included fake Parachute hair oil, Red label tea powder, Colgate Paste, Good Night Liquid, Head & Shoulders Shampoo, labels, boxes, stickers, empty bottles, packing boxes, and other items used in the preparation and adulteration of the items.
https://newsmeter.in/hyderabad/hyderabad-police-bust-gang-involved-selling-food-items-popular-brands-4-held-710476

5 April 2023 | R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

FICCI CASCADE acknowledges that the youth of our nation have a crucial role to play in addressing illicit trade. As the future leaders of our society, they are invested in creating a safer, more just, and prosperous society by combatting the harmful impact of illicit trade. With the objective to sensitize the young minds on the need to fight against illicit trade which brings havoc to the entire society, FICCI CASCADE organized a youth awareness programme on the theme “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” at R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar on 5th April 2023. 

The programme was divided into three competitions: Painting, Extempore and Jingle Writing. The competition witnessed enthusiastic participation of over 350 students from various educational institutions of Muzaffarpur. The competition showcased an enormous sight of young budding minds exhibiting their skills in eliminating the threat of illicit trade from the nation. The objective of the competition was to increase awareness among the youth of the country and encourage their support in reinforcing our efforts to combat illicit trade.

The competition was judged by various teachers from different schools of Muzaffarpur. The list of the winners are as follows:

Bengaluru: Almost a week since the announcement of the model code of conduct (MCC) on March 29, Election Commission officials have seized cash, goods, liquor and drugs worth Rs 47 crore in several parts of Karnataka.
This apart, flying squad teams have seized Rs 30 lakh in Bengaluru’s Chickpet and another Rs 43 lakh in Bailhongal constituency of Belagavi district.
According to an official release by Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, until Monday, police, income tax officials and other squads have cumulatively seized Rs 13 crore in cash from various assembly constituencies. Besides, the excise department has seized 2.8 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 16 crore. Drugs worth Rs 41 lakh and freebies worth Rs 10.8 crore have also been recovered. Other seizures include 13kg of gold worth Rs 6.7 crore and 88kg of silver worth Rs 64 lakh. Following these raids, 316 FIRs have been registered. Arms licences of seven persons have been cancelled and arms of 10 persons impounded.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/cash-goods-worth-47cr-seized-in-less-than-a-week/articleshow/99227678.cms?from=mdr