Over one kg gold seized, international passenger and receiver arrested in Chennai
Chennai: Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials at the Chennai International airport have arrested a gold smuggler, who flew in from Sharjah, and the receiver who was meant to collect the gold from him. 1.16 Kg gold of 24K purity, worth Rs 64 lakh (87,348USD) was seized under the Customs Act 1962.
Based on intelligence, a special alert was maintained to nab the smuggler who was expected to arrive on an Air India Express flight from Sharjah. On observing a passenger who appeared to be hurriedly rushing towards the exit with a carton box, officials intercepted the individual and checked his belongings. The carton box was found to contain clothes, household items and a toolkit.
However, the toolkit contained an Electric wrench, which was found to be unusually heavy. On dismantling the machine, a black cylindrical piece of metal was found concealed inside. On further examination, it was confirmed that the metal cylinder was painted in black, but made of pure 24K gold and it weighed 1.16kg.
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CBP Cincinnati seizes illegal, dangerous injectable cosmetics
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in Cincinnati recently seized six shipments containing prohibited cosmetic injections including various dermal fillers and counterfeit Botox. Two of the shipments originated in Germany, and the remainder came from Thailand, Spain, South Korea, and Turkey. They were addressed to private residences in California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, and Maryland.
Although the shippers indicated the packages had values ranging from $15-$175, the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) was much higher, anywhere from $384 to $22,500. The total MSRP for all the shipments was $35,600 had the products been genuine.
“Cheap cosmetic enhancers sold online are often manufactured in unregulated facilities with substandard ingredients and no quality controls,” said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie. “Our officers and specialists enforce hundreds of laws for many partner agencies, and are committed to ensuring the health and safety of American citizens.”
https://ajot.com/news/cbp-cincinnati-seizes-illegal-dangerous-injectable-cosmetics
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CGA seizes smuggled cigarettes
Thirteen shipping containers of smuggled cigarettes were intercepted on Tuesday at the Port of Taichung, the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Investigation Branch announced yesterday, adding that the seizure’s potential market value of NT$500 million (US$16.94 million) could be a record.
The branch’s Fongshan team on Tuesday confiscated the containers from the Da Dong cargo ship, registered to the Republic of Sierra Leone and piloted by a Taiwanese captain surnamed Wang . The ship had a crew of 12 Indonesians and 12 Chinese, as well as a Taiwanese chief engineer surnamed Kuo .
The 13 containers, each 40ft long, contained more than 11,000 bales of cigarettes — with each bale expected to hold 500 packs — including Chinese brands Zhonghwa and Double Happiness, and South Korean brand Esse, the branch said.
A source said that eight of the Indonesian crew members had wanted to leave the ship upon discovering that it was a smuggler, but Wang had refused to let them go and refused to pay them two months’ wages.
On Sunday, one of the Indonesian crew members called a priest in Kaohsiung, as the Da Dong was nearing the Port of Taichung, the source said, adding that the priest called a member of the Church in Taichung and asked them to inform the CGA’s central Taiwan branch.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/08/27/2003742354
Lear MoreGold worth Rs 1.15 crore seized from two passengers at Coimbatore airport
COIMBATORE: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized 2.6kg of gold, worth Rs 1.15 crore, from two passengers at Coimbatore International Airport. The seized gold was in paste form.
A few weeks ago, the DRI personnel received a tip-off regarding gold smuggling that is to be carried out by a gang based in Dubai through the Coimbatore airport. Since then, DRI officials led by deputy director G Satish were on high alert.
A couple of weeks ago, an Air India Express flight — that was operated under ‘Vandhe Bharat Mission’ — from Dubai landed in Coimbatore. While monitoring the passengers, the personnel questioned a couple, who were natives of Palladam in Tirupur district. The couple had completed their immigration, medical and customs formalities, according to officials.
“As their answers were not convincing and appeared nervous, they were subjected to personal searches. The officials recovered three packets that were stitched on to their inner garments. The packets contained 2.6 kg of gold in paste form,” the official said.
Lear MoreFake cosmetics seized in Hat Yai
SONGKHLA: A large quantity of illegal cosmetic products were seized in a search of a house on Withi Santi road in tambon Bang Phru of in Hat Yai district on Wednesday morning.
Police and health officials were acting on information the house was used for the production and packaging of cosmetic products for an unregistered brand.
The search was conducted by Thung Lung police and officials led by Wilaiwan Sakrin, chief of the consumer protection section of the Songkhla Public Health Office.
They seized containers with four kinds of cream for skin whitening and eradicating skin blemishes, cream jars and boxes.
The seized items, worth about 2 million baht on the street, filled 60 cardboard boxes. They were loaded on a truck and taken to Thung Lung police station for further legal proceedings.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1974971/fake-cosmetics-seized-in-hat-yai
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Fake money syndicate busted
POLICE in Bulawayo have smashed what appears to have been a well-orchestrated fake foreign currency manufacturing racket, arresting a teenage girl and her boyfriend who were allegedly printing the counterfeit money. Police expect to make more arrests as they say the syndicate could involve more people.
During a raid at a house where the couple stayed in North End, police recovered an assortment of fake high denominations of US dollars and South African Rand stashed under a mattress.
Police suspect that several unsuspecting people could have fallen prey to the fraudsters. One of suspects, Chantelle Sibalwa (18) was arrested while trying to use a fake US$100 bill to buy a box of chicken at a local food outlet.
She led investigators to her boyfriend, Onesmus Zimunya (33)’s house where US$2 265 and R1 700 in fake money, an HP Diskjet printer, bond paper, rulers and razor blades allegedly used in the commission of the crime were recovered. It is suspected the fraudsters could have been changing the fake money for real currency by buying stuff and getting change.
https://www.chronicle.co.zw/fake-money-syndicate-busted/
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Gold smuggling busted by Chennai Customs, gold foils worth Rs 78.4 lakh seized.
The Chennai Air Customs Gold seized gold foils weighing 1.45 kilograms and worth Rs 78.4 lakh on Saturday. The smuggled gold, which came in unaccompanied baggage from Dubai, was concealed between layers of cardboard boxes that contained toys and bedsheets. The passenger, who hails from Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu, was arrested.
The arrested passenger was working as an electrician in Dubai and had lost his job because of COVID-19. He had returned to the country recently.
According to Customs, a passenger who had arrived from Dubai earlier, had come to the customs section on Saturday for the clearance of his personal household goods, which had arrived by IndiGo Airlines Flight 6E 9480 as unaccompanied baggage. On opening the carton boxes, they found bedspread and toy boxes, among other items. The bedspread was wrapped around a cardboard sheet, which appeared to be unusually heavy.
On tearing the cardboard sheet, gold foil, wrapped in carbon paper, was found concealed between the two layers of cardboard sheet. Similarly, cardboard sheets were found in all the toy boxes as well. On tearing open the sheets, gold foils wrapped in carbon paper were found concealed inside two cardboard sheets.
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Over 120,000 Counterfeit Golf Products Seized In Multi-City Raids In China
A historic crackdown on counterfeit golf equipment seized 120,000 pieces of fake product bearing brand names such as Titleist, TaylorMade, PXG, PING, Callaway and XXIO after police in China simultaneously raided 10 locations in four different cities this week.
The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group, also known as the Golf Group, announced the successful raids against the online product sellers. The joint operation, conducted with assistance from the Golf Group, was carried out by more than 100 Shanghai Police offers as well as local police in the Guangdong and Fujian Provinces in China.
Counterfeit products confiscated in the raids include golf clubs, club heads, shafts, grips, bags, labels and more, making it the largest crackdown against online counterfeit golf sellers ever conducted in China. The entire network was completely uprooted, from the manufacturer of club heads, and the shaft and grip suppliers to owners of assembling workshops, shipping centers, and online chat rooms. A total of 15 suspects were detained and later arrested.
Lear MoreLiquor smuggler with car having I-T dept sticker arrested, 3000 quarters of alcohol seized.
Delhi Police has arrested a liquor smuggler and recovered 3,000 quarters of illicit liquor from his car. During the course of investigation, the accused Hari Chand disclosed that he works as a driver for Sandeep Pehlwan who asked him to transport the said liquor from Suraj Kund, Faridabad to Baghpat, UP. He used to earn Rs 25,000 monthly for this work.
A sticker of the Income-Tax Department was pasted on the car by Sandeep. An identity card of civil defence in Sandeep’s name was also given to him. The accused Hari Chand disclosed that he used to show this ID card of civil defence whenever he was checked at pickets, etc.
In the continuing action against the liquor smugglers, teams were constituted to curb the menace. During the intervening night of August 19-20, a dedicated team were checking vehicles near Crown Plaza picket. At about 11 pm, a Toyota Corolla car was seen coming from the Tughlakabad side. The police team signalled the car driver to stop the vehicle but rather than slowing down, he sped up the car. However, the alert police staff intercepted the car with the help of barricades. Instead of opening the car door, the driver tried to flee by putting the car in back gear. However, the police staff broke the car’s window and apprehended the driver.
Lear MoreJUST IN: 6 arrested for smuggling cigarettes
SOUTH African police (SAPS) have arrested six men believed to be Zimbabweans after they intercepted haulage trucks that were carrying cigarettes worth millions of rands that had been smuggled across the border from this country.
The suspects were arrested after a joint intelligence operation by the SAPS and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.
The cigarettes included brands such as Remington Gold, Chelsea, Royal Express and Premium.
In a statement SAPS said: “Six suspects were arrested after the integrated team discovered the suspects in the process of loading boxes of illicit cigarettes onto a number of trucks, which were allegedly going to be dispatched to a destination yet to be confirmed.”
“Preliminary reports suggest that the crime scene at an industrial site in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, was being used as a distribution point where alleged traders and in this case, the six arrested suspects, would collect the illicit cargo for further distribution and sales.”
https://www.herald.co.zw/just-in-6-arrested-for-smuggling-cigarettes/
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