Red sanders worth ₹15 crore seized by Customs
Mumbai: The Customs officials on Friday seized a consignment containing red sanders (red sandalwood) weighing 15,020 kg worth ₹15 crore in the illicit market at the Nhava Sheva port. The investigation revealed that credentials of a genuine exporting company were misused to smuggle red sanders to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said a customs officer, adding that their probe is on to nab the perpetrators.
The special intelligence and investigation branch (export) of the Customs department had received a specific input about the smuggling of red sanders and following the intelligence, Customs officers intercepted a container inside the GTI Terminal of JNPT before leaving the country. The container, destined for UAE with declared goods as “empty glass bottles 90ML”, was examined and found to be stuffed with red sanders, said the Customs official.
“A case has been registered under the Customs Act and we have started recording statements of the people connected to the case,” said the officer, refusing to divulge further details about the exporter or the people involved in the smuggling. Another Customs officer, however, revealed that the exporter is from a Mumbai firm and it appears that the smuggler was trying to misuse genuine documents of the company to run his smuggling racket, but did not succeed in the endeavour. The second officer said they are also trying to ascertain if the gang has sent any other consignments to the United Arab Emirates or some other foreign destinations and if some regular gang of smugglers was involved.
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Police seize £200,000 of counterfeit cigarettes and stolen wine in raid
Prescription drugs an illegal cigarettes worth £200,000 have been seized in a raid by police.
Two men have been arrested after the operation in Warrington.
The strike comes after an investigation over several months into to the illegal supply of prescription drugs in the town by a team of officers.
In a statement Cheshire Constabulary said: “On Tuesday December 21 the team conducted a warrant at an address in Orford where they recovered thousands of counterfeit prescription drugs, approximately £200,000 worth of counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco and a large quantity of stolen wine and spirits.”
Two local men, aged 67 and 31, were also arrested at the address on suspicion of money laundering and handling stolen goods.
Lear MoreSpecial Cell busts syndicate pushing fake currency into country; Rs 8L notes seized
New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Special Cell has busted an international syndicate indulging in circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in the country and arrested two key suppliers. Notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000, with a face value of Rs 8 lakh, have been seized.
According to DCP Jasmeet Singh, the consignment was being routed to India from Bangladesh borders through Malda in West Bengal.
“The syndicate picked up the consignment in Murshidabad, West Bengal, on the India-Bangladesh border for Rs 30,000 per lakh and sold it for Rs 45,000 per lakh to their contacts,” DCP Singh said. The module, cops claimed, had brought Rs 2-crore notes in the past two years.
The two arrested men have been identified as Feroj Sheikh (42) and Muffazul Sheikh (52) from Murshidabad. A team comprising inspector Ishwar Singh and ACP Attar Singh had been tracking the members of fake currency syndicates.
“The two were apprehended in the intervening night of December 21 and 22 near Kalkaji temple bus stand,” the DCP added.
The police had received information in the last week of October that a module was aggressively pushing in fake notes in north Indian states after procuring them from Indo-Bangladesh border.
The members of the module were identified and surveillance mounted on the movements of the members of this syndicate and requisite intelligence was collected.
Contraband cigarettes seized in Nipigon
A Grenfell, SK man is facing charges after police seize more than 11,000 cartons of unmarked cigarettes.
NIPIGON – A 71-year-old is facing charges after Nipigon OPP seize more than 11,000 cartons of unmarked cigarettes.
According to an Ontario Provincial Police release, officers stopped on eastbound vehicle on Dec. 17 just before 4:30 p.m. for a Highway Traffic Act offense on Highway 11/17 in Nipigon Township.
As a result of the traffic stop, 11,900 cartons of unmarked cigarettes were seized and a quantity of Canadian currency.
A 71-year-old of Grenfell, SK has been charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco, possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of unmarked cigarettes and possession of unmarked cigarettes for the purpose of sale.
The accused was released and is scheduled to appear in Nipigon Ontario Court on Feb. 8.
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/contraband-cigarettes-seized-in-nipigon-4894429
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J-K: Three held in Budgam with counterfeit currency notes
Budgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 23 (ANI): Three persons were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam on Thursday for possessing counterfeit currency notes.
The Budgam police busted a fake currency notes racket with the arrest of Taufeeq Hussain Khawaja, Farooq Ahmad Ganaie, and Abdul Hamid Ganaie.
Through a press release, the police informed that during checking at Narbal area, the police party intercepted a vehicle driven by Taufeeq Hussain Khawaja, a resident of Baliharan Singhpora Pattan Baramulla.
“During the search, printed counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 45,000 were recovered from the vehicle,” they said.
Later, the police also said that Khawaja confessed to his involvement in printing fake currency notes at his home at Baliharan Singhpora Baramulla.
Lear MoreContraband cigarettes seized in Nipigon
A Grenfell, SK man is facing charges after police seize more than 11,000 cartons of unmarked cigarettes.
NIPIGON – A 71-year-old is facing charges after Nipigon OPP seize more than 11,000 cartons of unmarked cigarettes.
According to an Ontario Provincial Police release, officers stopped on eastbound vehicle on Dec. 17 just before 4:30 p.m. for a Highway Traffic Act offense on Highway 11/17 in Nipigon Township.
As a result of the traffic stop, 11,900 cartons of unmarked cigarettes were seized and a quantity of Canadian currency.
A 71-year-old of Grenfell, SK has been charged with trafficking in contraband tobacco, possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of unmarked cigarettes and possession of unmarked cigarettes for the purpose of sale.
The accused was released and is scheduled to appear in Nipigon Ontario Court on Feb. 8.
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/contraband-cigarettes-seized-in-nipigon-4894429
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Political storm brewing in Mizoram over areca nuts smuggled from Myanmar
Aizawl: A political storm is brewing in Mizoram over a recent action taken by the Champai district magistrate against smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar.
Highly placed sources said Champhai district magistrate Maria CT Zuali, accompanied by some officials, had intercepted four trucks loaded with smuggled areca nuts near Kelkang village in Champhai district near the Myanmar border on the night of December 18 and allegedly burned 150 bags of dried areca nuts to be transported to Aizawl.
Five trucks managed to escape getting arrest, sources said. Following the incident, an Aizawl-based areca nuts transporter named Lalhruaitluangi registered a complaint with state police against Maria CT Zuali.
In her FIR, Lalhruaitluangi had alleged that the Champhai district magistrate along with other officials intercepted their trucks carrying areca nuts near Kelkang village on December 18.
The district officials unloaded 150 bags of areca nuts from three trucks and burnt on the spot, the complaint further said. The District Magistrate also allegedly snatched the drivers’ mobile phones and their ignition keys.
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J-K: Three held in Budgam with counterfeit currency notes
Budgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 23 (ANI): Three persons were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam on Thursday for possessing counterfeit currency notes.
The Budgam police busted a fake currency notes racket with the arrest of Taufeeq Hussain Khawaja, Farooq Ahmad Ganaie, and Abdul Hamid Ganaie.
Through a press release, the police informed that during checking at Narbal area, the police party intercepted a vehicle driven by Taufeeq Hussain Khawaja, a resident of Baliharan Singhpora Pattan Baramulla.
“During the search, printed counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 45,000 were recovered from the vehicle,” they said.
Later, the police also said that Khawaja confessed to his involvement in printing fake currency notes at his home at Baliharan Singhpora Baramulla.
Lear MoreWebinar on Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
Be Vocal for Local and Prevent Illicit Trade
22 December 2021 | Focus State – Odisha
The problem of illicit trade has only compounded in the current situation of COVID 19, where criminals have used the pandemic as an opportunity to cause significant damage on the economy of the nation, health and safety of the consumers. FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) in its series of state specific webinars on “Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond’, organized the next edition in the series for the state of Odisha on December 22, 2020. The webinar discussed and underscored the efforts that the industry & government have taken and could further take in tackling the flow of illicit products during the current crisis.
Capt. Dibya Shankar Mishra, Minister for Industries, MSME, Energy and Home, Govt of Odisha was the chief guest at the programme. While addressing the audience he said, “The menace of counterfeit and smuggled goods have penetrated deep into our society and is impacting the socio-economic prosperity of the country, which needs to be addressed immediately.” “Strict enforcement plays a very important role in curbing the menace of illicit trade. I am proud to share that Odisha’s enforcement agencies have been vigilant in fighting these illegal activities”, Capt. Mishra added.
Mr D P Dash, Former Pr. Director-General, DRI, Former Chairman, Enforcement Committee, World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE said, “inculcating moral values amongst children to buy genuine goods with bills on payment of taxes is an intergenerational investment in the fight against illicit trade.” He further said that penal provisions under central and state laws should be invoked to make a real impact in the fight against illicit trade.
Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE in his welcome address said, “illicit products have infiltrated everyday avenues of commerce, making their way into supply chains and consumers’ homes, thereby threatening manufacturers’ competitiveness, undermining consumer confidence and posing a threat to individuals health and safety”. “I must also compliment the Odisha government and the enforcement agencies for relentlessly pursuing the perpetrators of illicit trade. Despite the mammoth challenge posed by COVID 19 pandemic, their hands-on approach and alertness have been highlighted by seizures of large number of fake and smuggled medicines, currency, consumer goods, food products, cigarettes and much more”, Mr. Rajput added.
“Counterfeiting and smuggling causes an economic loss to the nation which can be addressed at the grassroot level by educating the school children and MSMEs on the impact of illicit trade,” said Ms Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Chairperson, FICCI Odisha State Council & MD, Sambad Group.
Mr. Sanjeev Mahapatra, Member, FICCI Odisha State Council and Director, Terrablock Machinery in his concluding remarks said that it is time we hone India’s inherent strength and capabilities to be resilient, competitive and attractive, so that our economy can adapt to the challenges in the post COVID era.
The speakers reiterated that consumer safety and safeguarding legitimate businesses while promoting indigenous production will also play a significant role in the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
IGI airport sees rise in gold seizures from foreign countries
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) witnessed a significant surge in gold seizures this year as security personnel confiscated gold worth Rs 1.82 crore as compared to last year when only Rs 5 lakh worth of gold was seized.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said gold smuggling cases went up from one last year to 11 cases this year. The officials claimed they busted several international and interstate gangs this year who tried to smuggle gold, drugs and sandalwood.
According to official data, illegal substances and drugs worth Rs 10.13 lakh were seized this year. The seizure rate saw a decline as drugs worth Rs 23.2 crore were seized last year.
Cases of fake e-tickets/passport/fake ID cases have also declined, from 27 cases last year to 12 cases at present. Arms smuggling cases also reduced from 29 to 25, the data showed.
Senior CISF officials said officers at the airport have been briefed to look for suspicious luggage, activities or persons as passengers use creative ways to conceal items and smuggle them.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-igi-airport-gold-seizures-7684850/
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