Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27) – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Monday it recently seized 24,950 reams of smuggled cigarettes in Davao del Sur worth ₱19 million.
According to the BOC Water Patrol Division, motorized boat “MV Amiesha” and its cargo covered with tarpaulin were sighted along the territorial waters of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
Upon inspection, the bureau said crew members failed to present legal documents for the cigarettes, prompting authorities to confiscate the cargo. It was not immediately clear when the cigarettes were seized.
The confiscated cigarettes in 499 cases violated Section 117 of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016, the BOC said.
The bureau said Port of Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria already issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the contraband.
In September 2022, two lawmakers filed House BIll No. 3917, which seeks to classify cigarette smuggling as economic sabotage and a non-bailable offense punishable with jail time of 30 to 40 years.
http://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/3/27/Customs-seizes-smuggled-cigarettes-worth-19M.html
Customs seizes smuggled cigarettes worth ₱19-M
Manipur: Fake liquor manufacturing unit busted in Thoubal
Imphal: A fake liquor manufacturing unit was busted in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Sunday, police said.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house in the Khongjam area and seized a huge quantity of fake Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL), they said.
“Empty bottles and materials used in packaging were also recovered,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Jogeshchandra Haobijam.
The fake liquors were made by concocting chemicals, he said.
Police are on the lookout for the owner of the house, Bobo Singh, and have detained two members of his family for questioning, he added.
https://www.eastmojo.com/manipur/2023/03/27/fake-liquor-manufacturing-unit-busted-in-manipurs-thoubal/
Breaking News | DRI Arrest Three For Smuggling 1.45 Crore Worth Fake Currency
Breaking News: DRI has arrested three for smuggling euros and dirhams at the Mumbai airport. The smugglers were from Dubai. Three have been arrested for smuggling Rs. 1.45 crore. Fake currency has been seized at the Mumbai airport.
Smugglers from Dubai have been busted. 1 crore worth of fake currency has been seized by the DRI. More than 50,000 are euros, and 45,000 are UAE dirhams. In total, it was around Rs. 1.46 crore. The three arrested people were trying to smuggle it to Dubai. They were intercepted at the Mumbai international airport, and they were produced in court.
The three persons have been identified as Amit Kumar, Bheem Singh, and Vikramjeet Singh. They all hail from Haryana. The trio was holding the entire amount of fake currency in the bank trolley at the airport.
https://www.timesnownews.com/videos/mirror-now/crime/breaking-news-dri-arrest-three-for-smuggling-1-45-crore-worth-fake-currency-at-mumbai-airport-video-99036745
Customs officers seize more than $700,000 of knockoff Gucci, Chanel, other designer brands
Customs officers in Virginia have confiscated more than $700,000 of designer brand counterfeits, including clothing, purses and shoes, in a single shipment.
Customs officers originally examined the shipment on February 3, according to the news release. The shipment originated in Seoul, South Korea, and was sent to an address in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The load had 68 items with designer brand trademarks, including iconic luxury brands like Burberry, Chanel, Christian Dior, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent, according to the release.
But customs officers suspected the goods were counterfeit, and submitted documentation of the items to Customs trade experts specializing in apparel, footwear and textiles.
The experts confirmed the goods were fakes with “infringing trademarks and copyrights,” says the release.
The goods would have been worth $708,097 if they had been real, according to the release.
An investigation into the shipment is ongoing and no one has been criminally charged, US Customs and Border Protection reported.
“Unscrupulous vendors illegally profit on the backs, and feet, of American consumers by peddling phony and potentially perilous products as authentic goods,” said Mark Laria, Customs’ area port director for the area port of Norfolk-Newport News, in the release. “CBP strongly encourages consumers to protect their families by purchasing authentic goods from reputable vendors.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/27/us/virginia-customs-seizes-counterfeits-trnd/index.html
Huge Fake Foreign Liquor Seized, 1 Held In Odisha’s Sambalpur
Sambalpur: A huge quantity of duplicate foreign liquor was seized and one person was arrested by excise sleuths from Ranibandha area of Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Friday.
Acting on an information about an illegal foreign liquor manufacturing in the area, a special team of excise officials carried out raids at some factories at Ranibandha, sources said.
A large number of bottles of duplicate foreign liquor, tools and other articles used in packaging were seized from a site during the operation. One person, identified as Suraj Behera, was arrested in this connection
It was alleged that duplicate and adulterated liquor was being prepared at the unit by mixing different spirits and other materials. These were being packed in bottles with labels of some popular imported foreign brands.
Behera, however, claimed that he had no knowledge about the manufacturing of fake foreign liquor. He claimed that another person who was living in the house on rent might have stocked the liquor bottles.
Excise officials reportedly said that a racket is behind the manufacturing of the fake foreign liquor and someone in Kolkata happens to be the kingpin. Spirit and other materials were being supplied ot the accused for making fake foreigh liquor.
https://odishabytes.com/huge-fake-foreign-liquor-seized-1-held-in-odishas-sambalpur/
Fake products worth ฿10m seized from Bangkok warehouse
Police from the Consumer Protection Police Division and officials from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) seized fake food supplements, cosmetics and medicines worth more than 10-million baht in a raid on a warehouse in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district today (Friday).
The over 6,000 fake items had been smuggled into Thailand from China and the warehouse, located in the Bantadthong area, is owned by a Chinese national, according to the police.
The fake products were being offered for sale online and many consumers had already bought them, believing them to be authentic.
TFDA Deputy Secretary-General Weerachai Nolwachai said that some of the fake medicine and food supplements contain ingredients which may be harmful, especially to pregnant women.
The warehouse owner has been charged with selling fake products, but he has denied the charges.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/fake-products-worth-%E0%B8%BF10m-seized-from-bangkok-warehouse/
Assam: Fake gold items weighing over 5 kg seized in Morigaon, two held
Assam Police on March 22, seized fake gold items weighing over five kilograms and detained two in Morigaon district on charges of smuggling.
An operation was carried out at Nellie in Jagiroad in the Morigaon district of Assam based on specific inputs of a possible smuggling attempt, according to preliminary reports. Officials were able to recover three boat-shaped pieces of gold from the two men’s possession during the operation.
After careful examination, it became clear that the seized items were fakes and not genuine gold. The entire seizure, according to officials, weighed approximately 5.4 kilograms.
During the operation, the police detained two individuals for attempting to smuggle the fake gold items. The two were identified by the police as Mohammad Alaluddin and Mohammad Abu Kalam.
The two were also in possession of three mobile phones and a motorcycle, in addition to the phony gold items.
In the mean time, Nellie Police have brought the two in to be interrogated regarding the matter. According to reports, the recent increase in the number of fake gold items seized across the state suggests that a larger connection is at work.
Officials informed that on March 21, at least four individuals and fake gold items were seized by Jagiroad Police in the Morigaon district of Assam.
https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-fake-gold-items-weighing-over-5-kg-seized-in-morigaon-two-held-531031-2023-03-23
BSF Jawans Nab Two Smugglers Smuggling Phensedyl On Indo-Bangladesh Border
Thwarting the plans of smugglers, BSF troops under South Bengal Frontier seized 373 bottles of Phensedyl and 02 smugglers from their area of responsibility in Indo-Bangladesh International Border area. The estimated value of the seized Phensedyl bottles is Rs.75,182/-. Smugglers were trying to take these contraband items from India to Bangladesh.
The first incident took place on 22 March 2023 at 2315 hrs, in the area of BSF’s Border Out Post Sabdalpur, 70 Battalion. Acting on intelligence, jawans performing CCTV camera duty, observed 02 smugglers moving towards the international border with gunny bags. The jawans immediately laid an ambush in their area of responsibility. The troops challenged them, as soon as jawans got the opportunity and nabbed 02 smugglers on the spot. 298 bottles of Phensedyl were seized from the possession of the smugglers. The apprehended smugglers were identified as Mahibur Sheikh and Faizul Shaikh, District Malda.
The apprehended smugglers revealed that they had received Phensedyl from Ishab Sheikh and Irshad Sheikh, District Malda and were to further cross the BSF duty line and hand it over to Sohail Sheikh, District Chapinavganj, Bangladesh. But BSF jawans caught them on the way.
In another incident, jawans of Border Out Post Amudia, 112 Battalion seized 75 bottles of Phensedyl from their area of responsibility.
The apprehended smugglers and the seized goods were handed over to the concerned agencies for further legal action.
https://neindiabroadcast.com/2023/03/23/bsf-jawans-nab-two-smugglers-smuggling-phensedyl-on-indo-bangladesh-border/
Bangkok Police seize over 5 million baht of fake brand products from Indian mafia store
Bangkok Police conducted a raid on counterfeit band name products at a store on the third floor of MBK shopping mall in Bangkok today and seized goods worth over 5 million baht. The store was reported to be operated by an Indian mafia gang called Babu.
The Department of Intellectual Property Protection was alerted to the activities of the Babu gang, who were reportedly smuggling and selling counterfeit brand name products, including trainers, bags, clothes, and watches, at the MBK Shopping Mall near the National Stadium BTS Station in Bangkok.
According to Thai media reports, the Babu gang rented a unit on the third floor of the mall to store and distribute their products. They operated both retail and wholesale, with more than 30 shops in the mall and nearby areas buying counterfeit products from the gang for resale.
The gang reportedly deceived their customers by claiming that the products were imported directly from an outlet abroad, resulting in lower prices compared to official stores.
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/bangkok-police-seize-over-5-million-baht-of-fake-brand-products-from-indian-mafia-store
BSF Seizes Cosmetics, Medicines, Household Articles, And Clothes Worth More Than Rupees 51.50 Lakhs From The Bandhan Express Train During A Search Operation
On March 19, 2023, at 0930 hours, troops of ICP Petrapole, 145 Battalion under South Bengal Frontier seized cosmetics, medicines, household items, and clothes worth more than Rs. 51.50 lakhs. The goods were being transported from India to Bangladesh via the Bandhan Express train.
The jawans on duty received information that a large quantity of cosmetics, medicines, household items, and clothes were going to be illegally transported on the Bandhan Express train from India to Bangladesh. Acting on this information, the company commander formed a search team. This train travels from Chitpur, Kolkata to Khulna, Bangladesh via Petrapole. The search team stopped the train at ICP Petrapole and conducted a thorough search of the train with the help of dogs and handlers. During the search, the team discovered 25 bundles containing the aforementioned goods.
The seized goods were handed over to the Customs Office at Petrapole for further legal action.
The spokesperson of the South Bengal Frontier expressed satisfaction with the jawans’ success and stated that it was a reflection of their vigilance. He added that BSF jawans will not allow smuggling or any other form of crime to take place on the border under any circumstances. He also stated that their intelligence department is investigating the people involved in this smuggling.
https://neindiabroadcast.com/2023/03/20/bsf-seizes-cosmetics-medicines-household-articles-and-clothes-worth-more-than-rupees-51-50-lakhs-from-the-bandhan-express-train-during-a-search-operation/