Counterfeit notes worth Rs 13.85 lakh seized, six arrested in Odisha
SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur police arrested six persons and seized counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 13.85 lakh from their possession on Saturday night.
The accused are Sagar Sahu (26), Ashok Sahu (27), Shiv Shankar Bania (30) and Gunanidhi Bhoi (38), all from Bargarh district, besides Satyanarayan Nirala (26) and Abhiram Jhangde (48) of Koshir in Raigarh of Chhattisgarh. While fake notes worth Rs 8 lakh were seized from Nirala, Jhangde was nabbed with Rs 4.46 lakh counterfeit currency.
Police said Sankar Singh of Sambalpur, a tea stall owner, got into a brawl with two persons who had come to his shop, over theft of his mobile phone on Saturday. He later lodged a complaint with police alleging that the two persons had stolen his phone. During investigation, police found a 100 rupee note from the duo’s possession which seemed fake. After consulting with the bank, both the accused were taken into custody for interrogation.
Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar on Sunday said, “The duo gave us lead about two more persons in Bargarh who were involved in circulation of fake currency notes. During investigation, we found that two persons from Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh were involved in printing fake currencies and supplying the same to the others for circulation in the market. The gang involved in counterfeit currency racket was active in Bargarh, Sambalpur and parts of Chhattisgarh since the last six-seven months.”
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Assam Rifles seize areca nuts & foreign-origin cigarettes in Mizoram
In its crusade against smuggling activities, the Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles, under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East)
AIZAWL: In its crusade against smuggling activities, the Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles, under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East), recovered 250 bags of areca nuts from the the area of Tlangsam- Ruantlang on August 6.
Based on specific information, the operation was carried out by a joint team of the Assam Rifles and the Customs Department, Champhai . The approximate market value of the recovered areca nuts is Rs 47,70,000. The Customs Preventive Force of Champhai seized the contraband items.
Lear MoreBelgium seizes tens of millions of counterfeit cigarettes
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s customs officers arrested 40 people Wednesday and seized tens of millions of counterfeit cigarettes in raids targeting illegal production sites across the country.
Belgium’s finance ministry described the operation as the biggest in the history of the customs service.
The ministry could not provide an estimated value of the merchandise seized since a final inventory has yet to be done.
In addition to the cigarettes falsely branded as Marlboro, Richmond, Prince and Regina, customs officers also discovered tons of tobacco, cigarette filters, empty packs and glue. The operation targeted 10 different production sites.
According to Belgian authorities, illegal production of manufactured tobacco has been growing in the European Union in recent years.
Last month, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) supported Spanish and Portuguese authorities in dismantling an international criminal network specialized in the illicit production and sale of cigarettes. A total of 125 searches were carried out in Spain and Portugal during Operation Alecrín, with 29 arrests and over 2 million euros in cash seized.
https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-belgium-3858b765afae5d9df009988b5b020a8b
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Factory making counterfeit Surf Excel detergent powder busted in Delhi, 1 held
A factory manufacturing and selling counterfeit Surf Excel washing powder was busted in Narela and one person was arrested, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Mukesh Garg (43), was previously involved in several other criminal cases.
The police said 3,247 kg of washing powder was seized from the factory.
A probe into the matter was launched when Rajesh Kumar, representing Assiduous Consulting India Limited, filed a complaint regarding manufacturing of counterfeit Surf Excel washing powder.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Rajiv Ranjan Singh said on Monday, a team conducted a raid in the factory in Kureni village here.
During interrogation, Garg told the police that he had been in the business of piracy for a long time and also had a shop in the grain market in Narela. He was involved in black marketing of grains.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/factory-making-counterfeit-surf-excel-detergent-powder-busted-in-delhi-1-held-292396
Biggest Pesticide Raid in Delhi: Police Seizes Spurious Branded Products
A special Delhi Police team raided the premises of a spurious pesticide manufacturer located in the village of Hirankudna in Najafgarh of Thana Mundka, New Delhi on July 30. The police discovered large amounts of duplicate and illegal pesticides that were produced under the brand names of famous multinational and national pesticide companies.
The spurious products seized in the raid displayed logos of renowned companies like Bayer, UPL, Dhanuka, Shriram, FMC, Crystal, Syngenta, Adama, and PI.
Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) has demanded a probe into this matter urgently, saying that such illicit activities must be checked in the interest of the farmers and the consumers.
According to ACFI statement, “A detailed complaint and FIR are yet to be filed by the legal authorities. We vehemently demand from the current regulators and authorities at higher levels to enquire and investigate into it.”
Lear MoreCapacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting, Smuggling
03/08/2021
FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) organized a Capacity Building Programme on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling for the officers of West Bengal Police on 3rd August 2021. Chief Guest at the programme, Dr. Debasish Roy, IPS ADG, Training, West Bengal Police, said “Despite various anti-counterfeiting strategies, like raids, use of multiple packaging technologies, consumer education and consultations with government agencies the menace of smuggling and counterfeiting is on the rise.” He further added that frequent seizures of contraband items such as cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and pharmaceuticals along with illegal imports of clothing were causing economic crisis leading to unemployment and poverty.
There are adequate laws available but enforcement of the laws makes the role of police officers very important to fight against counterfeiting, and smuggling.
Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, presented an overview of the socio-economic threat of smuggling and counterfeiting. In his presentation he highlighted how the grey market economy was fueling illegitimate industry, leading to increased criminalization of the society in the form of organized crime including terrorism. He said, “This capacity building programme is aimed to sensitize police officers to emphasize on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled goods.’
Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE, in his welcome remarks stated, “The Police department is the primary law enforcement agency in our country and plays a significant role in ensuring the protection of legitimate businesses from illicit players. Although there are adequate laws available, their enforcement makes the role of police officers even more important in the fight against counterfeiters and smugglers.” Complimenting the officials of the police department, he further said that during the Covid19 pandemic, our officers had been playing a crucial part in contributing to the effort to control the menace, promoting safer communities, and fighting criminals who were taking advantage of the outbreak.
Some of the key recommendations that emerged during the programme included capacity building in terms of skill, infrastructure and technology among the law enforcement agencies in improving the detection and investigation of crimes; need for additional manpower with the desired aptitude to be provided in special cells, District Investigation Units, Economic Offences Wing who could focus exclusively on the investigation of such cases; severe extant bail provisions; non-bailable offence for repeat offenders; rigorous imprisonment and stringent monetary penalty, among others.
All speakers unanimously agreed that the issue of illicit trade needs to be addressed as a high priority issue for the government. An orchestrated strategy including communication, coordination and close cooperation among various government agencies, law enforcement officials and private sector to combat this menace is imperative. The programme saw participation of several officers of West Bengal Police from Bankura, Islampur, Jagipur, Uttar Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Mednipur, Jhargam, Siliguri and Birbhum.
FICCI CASCADE has been successful in stirring an active debate on the topic nationally through various awareness programmes. Among other activities, FICCI CASCADE has been organizing capacity building programs for police officers in various states, focusing on economic offences such as counterfeiting and smuggling, equipping the officers to understand the laws and take requisite action against counterfeiters and smugglers. In pursuance of its mandate, FICCI-CASCADE will continue to hold similar programmes across the country in briefing enforcement agencies on procedural and enforcement issues while tackling illicit trading activities.
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1.50 tonnes of tobacco products seized, 5 held
Police have seized 1.50 tonnes of banned tobacco products at Puliyangudi in the district and arrested five persons.
The police said surveillance in and around Puliyangudi was intensified on Sunday night following information about smuggling of banned tobacco products. When a police team noticed a lorry parked in front of a house in Moolikulam near Puliyangudi around midnight, it started monitoring the vehicle from a distance.
As the lorry driver and a few others started unloading bags from the vehicle and stocking them in the house, the police surrounded them. While the lorry driver was identified as Nataraj, 45, from Salem, the person who had taken on lease the house was Sengan, 50, of Moolikulam. Others were Muthukumar, 32, and Durai, 42, from Kadayanallur, who had come there to buy the tobacco products, and lorry cleaner Govindaraj, 22, of Salem.
During interrogation, the police came to know that Sengan, the mastermind behind this illegal lucrative business, had taken on lease the house to stock it and was running this illegal business for the past several years to make huge money. He had brought it from Salem to be stocked at his village of Moolikulam and sell it to his customers from various parts of Tenkasi district.
Lear MoreFake currency worth ₹7.50 lakh seized, 9 held
The Bihar police has seized ₹7.50 lakh in fake currency notes of denomination ₹100 from Muzaffarpur and East Champaran districts, officials said on Monday, adding that nine persons, including a woman, were held in this connection.
The Muzaffarpur police late on Sunday night intercepted a car on National Highway-28 at Ratanpura under Motipur police station area following a tip-off and recovered Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with face value of ₹1 lakh from a gang’s kingpin and his wife, said Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jayan Kant.
Police also took the driver into custody for further interrogation.
During investigation, police found that paper used for printing the fake notes was brought from Nepal, while the printing process was done at a house located in Sitamarhi’s Mezarganj, the SSP said .
“A police team raided Ratanpura following information that a deal in FICN is likely to take place. The three accused were found in possession of ₹1 lakh FICN of denomination ₹200,” said the SSP, adding that following their arrest police raided East Champaran and caught six more persons and recovered ₹6.5 lakh FICN.
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Illicit alcohol worth Rs 3 lakh seized in Indore
INDORE: Continuing crackdown against bootleggers, the Indore excise department on Saturday carried out inspections at four places and seized illicit liquor in large quantities worth around Rs3 lakh.
A day after the excise department arrested one Hemant Sharma and seized illicit liquor, including country-made and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth around Rs7 lakh from his residence, the accused revealed involvement of other persons in the crime.
“Acting on Sharma’s information, the team raided at one Sunil Notwani’s house situated in Sindhi Colony and seized as many as 12 bottles of different liquor brands,” said assistant excise commissioner Raj Narayan Soni, adding that while a search for Sunil was on, the team has arrested his brother Shiv Notwani and interrogating him.
Later, the team raided the residence of Suresh Keswani in Sindhi Colony and seized 23.25 litres of foreign liquor of different brands, while in the search carried out at the residences of Jiya Pariyani and Nitin Kadra, the team seized around a dozen bottles of foreign brands.
Lear MoreTale of Fake Hewlett-Packard Gear Spurs Arrest in China, Lawsuit
When three Chinese nationals were jailed in Beijing almost a decade ago and accused of selling fake Hewlett-Packard Co. networking gear, it looked like an example of U.S. companies getting what they’d long demanded: aggressive protection of intellectual property in the world’s most populous nation.
A drawn-out court case heading to trial in Massachusetts paints a much muddier picture. The three, exonerated in China, accuse the former Silicon Valley icon of setting them up. They argue that it was H-P units that conspired to sell counterfeit gear, and then pinned the blame on them.
H-P disputes the claims, and is asking a U.S. federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the story was concocted by Integrated Communications & Technologies Inc., the Massachusetts-based company that employed the three Chinese nationals, to cover up its own criminal behavior. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin may rule on the dismissal request at any time. If he lets the case continue, a trial is scheduled for February.
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