Goa-made alcohol worth Rs 25 lakh seized in Kolhapur
KOLHAPUR: The flying squad of the state excise department’s Kolhapur division on Friday noon conducted a major operation at Morewadi in Kolhapur and have taken a person into custody for stockpiling Goa-made alcohol.
A truck used for transporting the alcohol worth about Rs 25 lakh has been seized.
State excise superintendent Ravindra Awale and deputy superintendent Rajaram Khot had ordered action against illegal stocking of liquor on the backdrop of Holi.
Sambhaji Barge, inspector, state excise department, said, “The flying squad had received information that Goa-made liquor was being stockpiled illegally at Morewadi. The team raided a house in Morewadi and found Goa-made liquor stored in a room and a truck parked next to the building. One of the suspects has been taken into custody.”
A case been registered under Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act, 1949.
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B70m in fake cosmetic products seized
Police have seized about 70 million baht worth of fake cosmetic products bearing the names of 18 brands during a raid on a house in Bangkok’s Suan Luang district.
As many as five people, including a Vietnamese national believed to be the ringleader, are still being sought in connection with the offences.
The seizure was made on March 14 but only announced on Friday at a briefing held by the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A combined team of police and FDA officials, armed with a search warrant issued by the Phra Khanong criminal court, searched a rented house in Suan Luang district after an investigation revealed that it was used to store counterfeit cosmetic products.
Pol Col Thanakorn Lerdporncharoen, deputy head of the CPPD, said the FDA had received many complaints from customers that they had purchased cosmetic products of well-known brands online, only to find after using them that they were fake and substandard.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2281483/b70m-in-fake-cosmetic-products-seized
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Man smuggled more than 4 million cigarettes in hollowed-out Gib board pallets
An Auckland man hid more than four million undeclared cigarettes in Gib board pallets. Robby Ng was arrested back in 2020 after customs officers intercepted two shipments of building material.
On Friday, Judge Kevin Glubb sentenced Ng to 11 months’ home detention for defrauding Customs revenue in the “sophisticated” scheme.
Ng and his company arranged the import of undeclared cigarettes concealed in hollowed-out Gib pallets, the court heard.
Customs officers managed to intercept two of the shipments, where they found more than two million cigarettes in each of the pallets.
When officers conducted a search warrant at an Avondale property, they found stacked up Gib board pallets with what they believed to be spaces where cigarettes could be hidden.
Lear More‘In Conversation with Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, Founder, Consumer Online Foundation’
Illicit trade in terms of counterfeiting and smuggling make up a vast ‘global businesses’, representing a multibillion-dollar illegal industry that creates a significant drain on the world economy. FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) on March 9, 2022 organized an ‘In Conversation with Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, Founder, Consumer Online Foundation’ to discuss the role of consumers and consumer protection organizations in dealing with illicit products, importance of Consumer Protection Act in safeguarding consumers and initiatives that can be taken to contain the menace of counterfeiting and smuggling.
“A strong consumer movement in an institutionalised manner with leadership from the government is the need of the hour to fight the menace of counterfeiting and smuggling” said Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, Founder, Consumer Online Foundation. He further added that to fight the growing menace of illicit trade, consumers must be able to report immediately if they find a difference in the specified quality of the product. A platform must be created for the consumers where they can share their experiences of encountering a smuggled, fake, defective, or counterfeit product. He emphasized on the need to address the issue at the grassroot level & take immediate action against illicit traders.
Emphasizing on the role of consumers in the fight against illicit trade practices, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE said, “Consumers can encourage change through their choices and behaviour. By highlighting some of the key harms attached to counterfeit and smuggled goods, they can play an important role in raising awareness on just how risky purchasing these items can be both to themselves and to the wider community.”
“I strongly believe that apart from a policy framework that disincentivises such illicit activities along with aggressive enforcement against the criminals of this trade, sustained awareness campaigns for people and understanding demand behaviour are critical in this fight”, he added.
Mr. Hem Kumar Pande, Former Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE while moderating the session said “it is not only the responsibility of the consumers to be aware of the growing illicit trade. But it’s time to go beyond & spread awareness amongst sellers about the adverse impacts of smuggled & counterfeit products”. Mr. Pande said challenge is to unite consumers and voluntary consumer organisations can play an important role in bring them together.
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 counterfeiting and smuggling. FICCI CASCADE, in pursuance of its agenda, has been organizing series of multi-stakeholder dialogues to tackle this adversary and spread awareness about the socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling.
Watch the session at: Click here
Foreign currency, gold seized at city airport
Customs officials at the international airport here detected two cases of currency smuggling in the last three days and seized currency with a face value of ₹25.18 lakh from two passengers.
They seized 90,000 UAE Dirhams (₹17.77 lakh) from a passenger from Mangaluru while he was making an attempt to smuggle it out of the country to Dubai in person and in baggage by an Air India flight No IX 383 on Tuesday.
In another case on Sunday last, they seized US $10,000 (₹7.40 lakh) from a passenger from Kasaragod (Kerala) while he was attempting to smuggle it to Sharjah by an Indigo flight 6E 1417.
The officials registered two cases in this connection, Customs Mangaluru tweeted.
Lear MoreFake cigarette unit busted in Telangana, one held
HYDERABAD: Task Force sleuths have busted a duplicate cigarette manufacturing unit and arrested a person. Cops seized 500 sacks of tobacco and raw material, all worth 2 crore.
Acting on specific information provided by a cigarette manufacturing company executives, a Task Force team along with Sultan Bazar police raided Yousuf Supplying Company in Sultan Bazar and busted a duplicate cigarette making racket.
Police arrested, Md Siddiq, a representative of Yousuf Supplying Company, from Sultan Bazar. His associates Md Alam Khan, and Naser Alam Khan of Barkathpura were absconding. Police seized 500 bags of tobacco, each one weighing 25 kilos, 170 cartons of cigarette filters, more than 400 rolls of cigarette papers of various brands, six rolls of silver paper were seized.
Police said that the accused have been manufacturing duplicate cigarettes of various brands of a manufacturing company and selling them to retailers for profit. The accused was were produced before the court for judicial remand.
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RM324,000 unregistered pharmaceutical and cosmetic products seized
ALOR SETAR: The Health Ministry has seized RM324,200 worth of unregistered pharmaceutical and cosmetic products during separate raids in Kulim on Monday.
State Health Department director Dr Othman Warijo the ‘Ops Putra’ raid was carried out by the Pharmaceutical Enforcement branch following complaints from the public.
“The raids were carried out at two illegal stores and one business premises where we seized 10,122 bottles of unregistered pharmaceutical products and 882 boxes of cosmetics products without the Malaysian Drug Control Authority security logo.
“The raiding team also seized 4,779 bottles of products contaminated by poison and also a digital device,” he said in a statement.
Lear MoreOver 7 million cigarettes seized from smuggler in Greece
Greece: The cigarettes were being smuggled into European Union countries and the United Kingdom in over 5,000 yoghurt containers.
Greek authorities have seized more than seven million cigarettes being smuggled to EU countries and the United Kingdom, according to the shipping ministry.
The ministry said Saturday that officials of the Central Port Authority of Igoumenitsa in western Greece arrested a 64-year-old from an unnamed foreign country on charges of smuggling.
The authorities who seized his refrigerator truck on Friday found 7,198,200 cigarettes hidden in more than 5,000 containers of yoghurt.The sum of evaded custom duties and taxes for the confiscated goods amount to more than 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million).
“The confiscated quantity of smuggled cigarettes was to be distributed on the illegal markets of the European Union and the United Kingdom”, the ministry statement added, citing the analysis so far.
Lear MoreIn Conversation with Prof. (Dr.) Ashok R. Patil, Chair Professor and Chair on Consumer Law & Practice (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India), National Law School of India University
FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy organised an ‘In Conversation with Prof. (Dr.) Ashok R. Patil, Chair Professor and Chair on Consumer Law & Practice (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India), National Law School of India University on 3rd March 2022. It was organised as a precursor to the World Consumer Rights Day on 15th March 2022 to discuss the importance of Consumer Protection Act and the role of consumers in addressing the growing hazards of smuggling and counterfeiting across the nations.
Prof. (Dr.) Ashok R. Patil, Chair Professor and Chair on Consumer Law & Practice (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India), National Law School of India University said, “Consumers have the right to be informed about the purity, safety, quality of the product, right to seek redressal against unfair trade practice and the right to be aware”. He further added that creating public awareness, increasing surveillance, and coordination amongst industry, consumers, NGOs, government, and media can help counter the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling effectively.
He also informed that “The Central Consumer Protection Authority will change the scenario in India with its Suo moto & investigative powers which takes care of all the rights of the consumers with regards to unfair trade practices, false and misleading advertisements.”
Mr. P K Malhotra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE in his welcome address said, “Counterfeit and smuggled goods are not only a threat to the country’s economy, but also bring serious harm to the consumers. Illicit products have infiltrated everyday avenues of commerce, making their way into supply chains, posing threat to individuals’ health and safety.” “While the Consumer Protection Act is a stepping-stone to regulate matters involving violation & enforcement of consumer rights, the consumers must also act responsibly & cautiously while making any purchase”, he added.
Mr. Hem Kumar Pande, Former Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE while moderating the session said, “Consumer awareness is of paramount importance and consumers should know their rights and duties. They need to stand united against the menace of counterfeit and smuggled goods”. Mr Pande emphasised on having a consumer movement in India against such serious crimes that are not only risking consumer’s health and safety but are also damaging the economy of the country”. He also stressed on having a dynamic policy and legal framework, quick consumer grievance redressal, mediation centres and aggressive campaigning to protect consumers against the menace of illicit trade”.
FICCI CASCADE, in pursuance of its agenda, has been organizing series of multi-stakeholder dialogues to tackle this adversary and spread awareness about the socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling.
Watch the session at: https://youtu.be/OWB3xCZLCB4
Pre-event Coverage reportDownload Pdf
Assam Rifles seizes foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 6 lakh at Champhai
AIZAWL: In yet another success in its crusade against smuggling activities, the Serchip Battalion of Headquarter of 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), recovered foreign-origin cigarettes worth Rs 6,05,800 in the general area RuantlangChamphai on Wednesday, stated a press release.
The operation was carried out by a team of 8 Assam Rifles, 2 Assam Rifles and 10 Assam Rifles, acting on specific information.
The seized cigarettes have been handed over to the Customs Department at Champhai for further legal proceedings. Ongoing smuggling of foreign-origin cigarettes is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar Border.
Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the ‘Sentinels of the Northeast’ have continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram.
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