Kochi: Sleuths of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on Tuesday foiled yet another bid to smuggle gold into the country through Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial). The team seized 871g of gold in compound form from a carrier who arrived here. According to sources, the passenger had arrived at the airport from Dubai. “On the basis of profiling, officers of the AIU Batch intercepted the passenger from Dubai. During examination, four capsule-shaped packets, suspected to be gold in compound form, were found concealed inside his body. The recovered goods were seized and further investigation in the case is in progress,” said an officer.Customs identified the passenger as Anas, a Palakkad native. The gold, once extracted, is expected to have a value of Rs 44.9 lakh.
DRI seizes electronics worth Rs 80 crore at Mundra SEZ
AHMEDABAD: A team of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) seized electronic goods, e-cigarettes, mobile accessories, branded shoes and branded watches from within the Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ).The seized goods are estimated to have a market value of Rs 80 crore. Investigators said the goods were mis-declared as garment accessories and women’s footwear with a declared value of Rs 1.5 crore.
Officials said specific intelligence was developed on a consignment originating in China. Based on the information, six suspect containers were identified and examined. The containers were found to have 33,138 earphones and batteries for mobile phones, 4,800 e-cigarettes, 7.11 lakh pieces of electronic goods and accessories (batteries, wireless kits, laptop batteries etc.), 29,077 branded bags, shoes and cosmetics, 53,385 branded watches, and 58,927 pieces of automobile parts. The goods were seized under provisions of the Indian Customs Act, 1962.
1.6kg of gold, electronic goods seized from passengers at Chennai Airport
CHENNAI: Customs officers at Chennai airport have seized 1.6 kg of , worth Rs 85 lakh, and assorted electronic goods from passengers who tried to smuggle them into the country. On Tuesday, a passenger who arrived from Dubai via Sri Lanka was intercepted on a tip-off. A search led to the seizure of gold designed like the contact pins in electrical plugs. There were 27 such pins hidden in adaptors. A gold bit hidden in his undergarments, six refurbished laptops and 57 mobile phones were also seized. On Wednesday, 509 gram of gold in paste form was recovered from the rectum of a passenger who arrived from Dubai. A gold ingot weighing 348 gram was seized from a passenger who arrived here from Dubai in another flight.
Capacity Building Programme for Chhattisgarh Police Officers
11th January 2023| Chhattisgarh
FICCI CASCADE organised a Capacity Building Programme for the Police Officers of Chhattisgarh on 11th January 2023 in Raipur. The training programme aimed at highlighting the paramount role of police officials in liberating the nations from the clutches of illicit trade.
While addressing the ‘Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ Mr Ratan Lal Dangi IPS, Director, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose State Police Academy stated that the problem of smuggling and counterfeiting is not only confined to India but is impacting the world. Police, being the primary enforcement body is playing an important role in enforcing laws and is continuously working for the nation building to foster economic growth. Mr. Dangi mentioned that counterfeiters and smugglers are not only hurting the economy of our country but are posing severe threat to the health and safety of citizens. Awareness among the enforcement agencies on the growing need to save the consumers from the hazard of counterfeiting & smuggling is essential, he added.
Mr Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi gave an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling. He stated that the grey market is fueling illegitimate industry, leading to an increased criminalization in society. This capacity building program is aimed to sensitize the Chhattisgarh police officers on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled products, he emphasized.
Col Atul Yadav, General Manager- North, Industry Affairs, ITC Ltd. opined that illegal activities such as counterfeiting and smuggling are flooding the market with substandard fake and smuggled products which are produced without following quality norms at unhygienic places, and are sold illegally, thus contributing towards increase in unaccounted money. A major driver for the rampant increase of smuggling is high taxes which create a significant arbitrage to fuel such activities. The extent of smuggling in the country is a cause of great concern. However, to effectively tackle the growing menace of smuggling in India, a lot more needs to be done to make the compliance and processes more robust and detection of such crime easier, he added.
Ms Aashita Agarwal, Policy Manger, Public Policy, Amazon India accentuated that Amazon is focused in mitigating fraud and abuse on marketplaces that hamper customer trust. Amazon has introduced several initiatives and have put in resources to make its marketplace a reliable and safe platform for customers, brands, and sellers to conduct transactions. She added that we are committed to promoting and participating in the efforts for ensuring that the consumers are empowered to enjoy the benefits of online shopping while being protected from the risks the digital era may present. The programme witnessed an enthusiastic participation of 120 police officers across the state.
Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling Download Pdf
4 held for sandalwood smuggling in Karnataka
BENGALURU: A gang of four was arrested for allegedly smuggling sandalwood from Huliyurudurga in Tumakuru district and trying to sell it in Bengaluru.
The accused are Ponnaraj alias Ponna, 35, Druvakumar alias Druva, 29, Siddappa KV, 27 and Harish KN, 34.
Police seized 330kg of sandalwood worth over Rs 6.5 lakh and mini-goods vehicle from them. The accused told police they had stolen sandalwood from Huliyurudurga and were
Seminar on Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling
10th January 2023| Chhattisgarh
FICCI CASCADE organised a Seminar on ‘Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ on 10th January 2023 at Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur. Shri Amarjeet Bhagat, Hon’ble Minister of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection, Planning Economic and Statistics, Culture, Government of Chhattisgarh was the chief guest at the seminar. While addressing the programme, he mentioned that the rapid growth of technology has led to a drastic increase in economic crimes and cybercrimes. Shri Bhagat emphasized that illicit trade activities are the major barriers in the path of economic growth of the country. Over the years, the government has initiated several mechanisms to ensure consumer safety and checking unfair trade practices, there is an urgent need of increased consumer awareness to tackle this problem, he added
Mr. Topeshwar Verma, Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection, Technical Education and Employment, Government of Chhattisgarh accentuated that Illicit activities such as smuggling and counterfeiting are global problems of enormous scale, impacting all stakeholders such as consumers, industry, government and society as a whole. He urged all stakeholders to join hands to collectively fight the menace of illicit trade. Mr. Verma emphasized the need to take a bill on every purchase, as it acts as evidence of transaction.
Mr P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs stated that illicit trade have a significant adverse effect on security, environment, health, safety and economy. Illicit trade is a low risk and high reward criminal activity. There is no manufactured product, illicit of which is not available in the market. Inadequate penal provisions and delayed prosecution/ adjudication proceedings do not create desired deterrence for illegal market operators, added Mr. Jha.
Mr. Abhijit Pati, Chairman, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and CEO & Director BALCO (Vedanta Group) opined that in the past ten years the magnitude of illicit trade has grown from USD 650 billion to about USD 3 trillion, representing 10 per cent of the global trade and rightly been termed as the crime of the 21st century by the FBI. Mr. Pati mentioned that there is a need for concerted effort by all stakeholders to ensure that an effective and workable deterrence is created.
Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi chaired the Panel Discussion on Policies to Prevent Counterfeiting and Smuggling. While chairing the session he stated that it is important to work together across borders and sectors in order to disrupt the networks and supply chains that support smuggling. Strong laws and effective enforcement actions are critical to ensure that individuals and organizations are held accountable and deterred from engaging in illegal or harmful activities.
Panelist, Ms. Pratima Singh, Additional Commissioner, Central GST & Central Excise, Raipur highlighted that the custom department is at the forefront to save the society from the ill-effects of smuggling. She apprised that last year officials have seized 92,000 kg narcotics, 800 kg ganja and 36 lakh smuggled cigarette sticks from across the country. During the discussion, Dr. Sanjeev Shukla, IPS, Inspector General of Police, CID, Raipur emphasized that it is essential for enforcement agencies to be proactive in combating smuggling to protect the national security, support the economy, and prevent criminal organizations from gaining a foothold in the country. There is a need to increase intelligence gathering, surveillance, risk assessments, and targeted operations.
Shri Praveen Mishra, Hon’ble Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Raipur highlighted that the existing punishments that are handed out in compliance with the various legal laws are not as effective as they could be in preventing the threat of smuggling and counterfeiting. Therefore, there is a need to enhance stringent laws and regulations to prevent illicit trade.
Shri Arvind Agrawal, Director, VNR Seeds Pvt Ltd., Raipur stated that stakeholders, including governments, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, businesses, and civil society groups, can play a critical role in battling the menace of illicit trade by working together to share information, resources, and expertise. This will help to create a more secure and sustainable global economy that benefits everyone.
Ms. Jaya Mishra, Member, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and President, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus during her vote of thanks, mentioned that students can play an important role as brand ambassadors and torchbearer in the fight against illicit trade. Winners of the competitions organised in Bhilai on the “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” were also awarded at the seminar. The conference was attended by more than 250 industry captions, representatives from consumer forums, government officials and other stakeholders in this segment.
Seminar on Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and SmugglingDownload Pdf
Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting
9th January 2023| Chhattisgarh
In our continued endeavour, to sensitize the youth on the need to work together to address the growing hazards posed by counterfeiting and smuggling, FICCI CASCADE organized a youth awareness programme on the theme “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” on 9th January 2023 at Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus, Bhilai. The programme was divided into three competitions: Painting, Elocution and Jingle Writing. The competition witnessed enthusiastic participation of over 450 students from various educational institutions of Chhattisgarh. The competition observed a great sight of young prodigious talent demonstrating their skills to curtail the threat posed by counterfeiting and smuggling. The objective of the competition was to generate awareness among the country’s youth and seek their support in strengthening our fight against illicit trade.
The competition was judged by Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Ms. Mr. Jaya Mishra, Member, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and President, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus.
The list of the winners are as follows:
| Winners | Elocution Competition | Painting Competition | Jingle Writing Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Prakiti Pandey, Shri Shankaracharya Mahavidyalaya | Notram Sahu, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand College of Nursing | Maheshwaree Sahu, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand College of Nursing |
| 2nd Prize | Kush Upadhyay, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus | Elisha Kerketta, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand College of Nursing | Janhavi Sarva, Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Science |
| 3rd Prize | Aryansh Dubey, Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Science | Annapurna Shama, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus | Megha Mandavi, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand College of Nursing |
FICCI CASCADE believes that it is important to empower the youth of our nation to take a leading role in the fight against illicit trade by educating and training them to identify and respond to illicit trade activities. Competition winners were awarded at a Seminar on ‘Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ organised at Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur on 10th January 2023.
Capacity Building Programme on Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling
Focus state: GOA|16th December 2022
Across the globe, illicit networks are infiltrating and corrupting legitimate business markets, reducing productivity, and dis-incentivizing investments, jeopardizing public health and eroding the security of our nation. Illicit trade is an increasingly growing global concern which is threatening India’s legal industry, adding social cost to the consumers and causing huge loss to the exchequers. India today had the potential to become a global manufacturing hub. However, widespread smuggling and counterfeiting act as a dampener in achieving this goal. It is time that India, as a nation and as a part of the global economy, call for strict and resolute enforcement actions against such activities.
Shri Jaspal Singh IPS, Director General of Police, Goa was the chief guest at the programme. Shri Singh informed that awareness is the first step towards enforcement as the problem of trade in illicit products emanates from the lack of awareness. Counterfeiting and Smuggling have developed into a substantial threat to the economy globally, this is the biggest challenge and needs to be addressed at a priority with effective enforcement of laws as a key to curb the menace.
While giving an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling, Mr. Deep Chand IPS, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi stated that lack of stringent enforcement, weak surveillance and weak regulatory framework are the main factors responsible for illicit trade. He opined that the wider social, investment and criminal enforcement costs due to smuggling and counterfeiting could touch $4.2 trillion putting at risk 5.4 million legitimate jobs.
Mr. Chand further stated that as per the FICCI CASCADE’s recent report titled “Illicit Markets: A Threat to Our National Interests”, the unlawful trade in the five key industries (Mobile Phones, FMCG-Household and Personal Goods, FMCG-Packaged Foods, Tobacco Products, and Alcoholic Beverages) results in a total estimated legitimate employment loss of 15.96 lakh. The estimated size of illicit market was ₹2,60,094 crore for the year 2019-20 and the tax loss to the government in these industries was Rs 58,521 crore, with two highly regulated and taxed industries, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages, accounting for nearly 49% of the overall tax loss.
Mr. Pradeep Dixit, Executive Vice President – Industry Affairs, ITC Ltd. stated that India is the 4th largest and fastest growing market for smuggling of illegal cigarettes, which calls for heightened awareness and sensitization of people in the society. Generating mass awareness amongst the consumers is an important mean to curtail the hazards of growing illicit trade, added Mr Dixit.
Mr. Ashish Sawant, Assistant Manager, Global Brand Protection, APAC Region, Johnson & Johnson highlighted that counterfeit products have a detrimental impact on both the manufacturers and consumers. It poses severe risk to company’s reputation, brand image and negatively affect the consumers’ confidence in the global market. It also affects businesses and consumers alike by sowing mistrust in genuine products made by reputable brands.
Ms. Sucheta Dessai, SP, Goa Police mentioned that smuggled & counterfeit products are a serious concern to the economy and the society at large, hurting the integrity of the brand, reducing employment opportunities and most importantly, threating health and safety. There is vital need for the policy makers, enforcement agencies and industry to be on the front foot, to tackle it.
FICCI CASCADE has been over the years working closely with government, industry, enforcement officials, legal fraternity, consumer organizations and the youth to create awareness on the adverse impact of the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling. Among other activities, FICCI CASCADE has been regularly engaging with law enforcement agencies including police, customs and paramilitary organizations engaged in border protection in sensitizing them on the gravity of the problem.
Awareness Programme on Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling
6 December 2022| L. N. Mishra Institute of Economic Development & Social Change, Patna
Mr Samir Kumar Mahaseth, Industry Minister, Government of Bihar was the chief guest at the seminar. While addressing the programme, he mentioned that the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling is complex in nature, with no legal regulation and very little recourse, consumers are at risk from unsafe and ineffective products. It is important that consumers understand the multi-faceted complexities of the problem. Youth are the consumers of tomorrow, who can encourage and bring about the required change through their choices and behaviours, he added.
Shri Mahaseth emphasized that educating and generating awareness about the ill effects of counterfeiting and smuggling is the need of hour to combat this global scourge. He suggested that FICCI CASCADE should organize similar youth awareness programmes in Bihar frequently to motivate the young minds in achieving the objective of making India free from illicit trade. The Hon’ble Minister also felicitated school children for the inter-school competition organised by CASCADE.
Mr Dipak Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Education, Government of Bihar also addressed the seminar. He stated that the uninhibited growth of counterfeiting and smuggling is not only impacting the economy of our country but also posing severe risk to public health and safety. Smuggling and counterfeiting leads to tax evasion which further slows down the pace of development of the country, said Mr. Singh. He emphasized on the need to take a bill while making any purchase, to act as proof/evidence of the transaction.
Mr P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs accentuated that illicit trade is of grave concern, it undermines the nation’s economy, damages brand integrity, and most importantly affects health and safety of the citizens which needs to be addressed on an urgent basis. He opined that presently lack of awareness, besides the inadequate legal framework, are shaping the dynamics of illicit trade.
Mr Rajiva Ranjan Verma, Former Director General, RPF, NCRB, Civil Defense, Home Guard & Fire Services and BPR&D and Think tank Member, FICCI CASCADE highlighted that raising awareness is an important aspect of combating illicit trade in terms of smuggling and counterfeiting which needs to be pursued vigorously. The role of youth is paramount in battling the menace of smuggling and counterfeiting, he stressed.
The seminar discussed the importance of increased awareness on the hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling, and the need for effective enforcement to enhance India’s economic development. The seminar also deliberated on FICCI CASCADE’s recent report titled Illicit Markets: A Threat to Our National Interests, which examines the impact of illicit trade in five key industries in India — Mobile Phones, FMCG-Household and Personal Goods, FMCG-Packaged Foods, Tobacco Products, and Alcoholic Beverages.
Media Coverage BiharDownload Pdf
DRI expresses concern over increased cigarette smuggling; warns smokers against cheap sticks
Officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have expressed concern over cigarette smuggling in a report, saying that high incidence of tax on the sin good is resulting in a tax arbitrage in favour of smuggling. It said the smuggled cigarettes are, on an average, 50 per cent cheaper in the Indian market as compared to the the similar domestic brands. From a public health perspective, the smuggling of cigarettes also poses a serious challenge since a part of the smuggled cigarettes are counterfeits and the quality of tobacco and other ingredients used in them, is inferior, it added.
During 2021-22, 11 crore sticks valued at Rs 93 crore were seized by DRI officers. While 47 per cent of this originated from Myanmar, 22 per cent came from the UAE and 31 per cent from others. The report said COVID-19 pandemic has forced the policymakers and the businesses worldwide to thoroughly revisit their prevalent policy/business models. The same holds good for smugglers and contraband traffickers as well.
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