ICA foils bid to smuggle 5,000 cartons of cigarettes hidden under lorry
SINGAPORE – More than 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden under a Malaysian-registered lorry at Tuas Checkpoint last Thursday (Aug 13).
The lorry’s driver, a 47-year-old Malaysian, has been charged in court. The duty evaded for the cigarettes amounted to $429,310, and the goods and services tax evaded was $34,760.
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers had spotted something suspicious about the exterior of the lorry, which was carrying a consignment of precast concrete. They then pried open a small section of the lorry bed, revealing 5,026 cartons and 10 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in it.
The case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation, said ICA on Tuesday.
ICA said it will continue to conduct security checks at checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband goods across Singapore’s borders.
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Liquor smuggling racket busted in Bihar! Courier company used cover of transporting sanitizer bottles to dodge police
The Bihar excise department has busted a gang which was booking alcohol bottles via a courier company to make deliveries in the dry state. According to Shailendra Kumar, an excise department official, this is the first time when a courier company has been found involved in smuggling of alcohol in the state.
Kumar said that to dodge the police, the courier company was smuggling alcohol in the name of transporting sanitizer bottles. This, he said, was being done cleverly to circumvent police scrutiny.
The courier company was involved in delivering alcohol bottles across the state, reports said.
The gang was involved in smuggling alcohol bottles for the past months. Police have arrested one person in connection with the case.
The excise department said that the courier company’s office in Malsalami area of Patna was raided by officials. The officials seized eight cartons of alcohol (nearly 170 litres) from the office.
This was not the first time when the excise department has busted a gang involved in liquor smuggling in the state. The menace of liquor smuggling has become a cause of concern for the police and the government. Smugglers have been innovating new methods to dodge officials since the government banned sale and consumption of liquor in the state on April 5, 2016.
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26kg gold found in waist belts, 3 held
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized gold bars worth around Rs 14 crore on Saturday. Three men, all residents of Maharastra, have been arrested with the gold bars that had been smuggled into India from Myanmar.
The trio had been carrying 160 gold bars, weighing around 26.5kg, hidden in custom-made waist belts, to Delhi. The DRI sources said they acted on a tip-off and raided the Brahmaputra Mail as the train reached the New Jalpaiguri station. The train had been headed for Delhi from Northeast.
Those arrested have been identified as Saurav Samarao Sikhandey, Sandip Thappa Naraley and Sasikant Tanhaji Fute.
“A team of the DRI conducted the raid and intercepted the three men, who were then taken to the DRI office from the railway station. As they were searched, the gold bars were found in specially made waist belts that all three had been wearing. They had taken the train from Northeast and were smuggling the gold to Delhi. It seems that they are associated with a gold smuggling racket,” said Tridip Saha, the lawyer representing the DRI.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/26kg-gold-found-in-waist-belts-3-held/cid/1789320
Lear MoreAndhra Pradesh BJP leader caught smuggling liquor, suspended from party
BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh G Ramanjaneyulu alias Anji Babu has been nabbed by the state enforcement bureau for smuggling liquor. The leader had contested 2019 parliamentary election on BJP ticket from Machilipatnam constituency.
He was among with four people caught by the SEB while they were smuggling cases of non-duty paid liquor (NDPL) from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh.
Superintendent of Police, SEB, Arif Hazeef said, “We have recovered 40 cases of NDPL (1920) bottles worth Rs 6 lakh along with three cars. The liquor was being transported from Telangana’ Chityala in Nalgonda district to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. Legal action is being taken against the BJP leader along with three others”.
Lear MoreFDCA raids unit illegally making sanitizer, seizes items worth Rs 34 lakh in Ahmedabad.
AHMEDABAD: A team of the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) carried out a raid in Makarba on Friday and seized material to make hand sanitizer from a residence. Officials said the accused, Meet Patel, was producing sanitizer without a permit. Officials are ascertaining how many units were produced and sold so far. From the spot, officials seized items worth Rs 34.4 lakh.
“They had alcoholic hand rubsanitizer of Mehsana-based Jyoti Herbs and Gandhinagar-based Prince Instant Hand Sanitizer along with other products, packaging material and machinery. Patel in primary questioning said he was making sanitizers since the lockdown and had so far purchased denatured alcohol worth Rs 18 lakh,” said Dr H G Koshia, commissioner of the Gujarat FDCA. He added that Patel has violated The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, by initiating production without a permit.
The FDCA investigation revealed that Jyoti Herbs doesn’t have a permit for production of cosmetics or medicines whereas the products from Prince Instant Hand Sanitizer were found to be fake. Officials also also found tins of hair remover, the use of which is still under the scanner.
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Altab Ansari, alleged mastermind of 15 kg precious metal smuggling scam, arrested from Bara
Police have arrested Altaf Hussein Ansari, an alleged mastermind of a recent gold scam who was on the run after the incident, from Bara district on Thursday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Manjit Kunwar of District Police Office Parsa, said they had arrested Ansari after getting a tip-off.
A team of the District Police Office, Parsa arrested Ansari from Nijgadh this morning, said Kunwar. He was sent to Kathmandu for further investigation.
“After arresting him, we informed the Metropolitan Police Range and the Metropolitan Crime Division, which are investigating the case,” said Kunwar.
According to Senior Superintendent Shyam Lal Gyawali, chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range, two Indian nationals Nilesh Shakiya and Sanjay Patel were the masterminds behind this fake gold smuggling racket while Ansari is said to be the main dealer whose job was to assist them in Nepal.
Shakiya was arrested a day after the incident from Nawalparasi while Ansari and Patel were on the run. “But on Thursday we arrested Ansari, so now only Patel is on the run. We are searching for him too,” said Gyawali.
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8 arrested for smuggling contraband cigarettes into Singapore on tugboat
SINGAPORE: Eight men were arrested for smuggling 3,490 cartons of contraband cigarettes into Singapore on a tugboat, said the Singapore Police Force on Thursday (Aug 13).
The men, Indonesian nationals aged between 24 and 53, were detained during an operation conducted by the Police Coast Guard and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the Western Anchorage on Tuesday.
“During the enforcement operation targeting illegal activities in Singapore waters, a total of 3,490 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were discovered inside the tugboat,” the police said in a news release.
The cigarettes were seized as case exhibits, the police said, adding that the duty evaded amounted to S$433,430 while the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was S$33,020.
Lear MoreTirupati: To overcome Corona crisis, cab drivers turn liquor smugglers
Tirupati: Months of unemployment has forced many cab drivers into bootlegging in the district. With no income due to lockdown and restrictions, many travel vehicle drivers have turned to smuggling non-duty paid (NDP) liquor from Karnataka. Statistics of raids and seizures effected by Special Enforcement Bureau in the last few months reveal that 22 out of the 46 liquor smugglers caught in the act in the district were travel vehicle or cab drivers.
Huge difference in the price of liquor in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka means earning considerable profit to maintain their families in these hard times. According to sources, have turned to smuggling liquor from Karnataka as it is just across the border from Chittoor district. The AP government has increased the prices of cheap liquor abnormally, purportedly to wean away addicts from the booze as part of its ‘phased’ prohibition. While a quarter bottle of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sells at Rs 180 in our state, it is around Rs 80 in the neighbouring states.
Lear MoreCounterfeit Realme products worth Rs20 lakh seized from Gaffar Market
New Delhi: Realme smartphone accessories amounting to approximately Rs 20 lakh were seized by the local police during a raid on two shops in Delhi’s Gaffar Market on August 9, the Chinese smartphone maker said.
Over 3,800 counterfeit Realme products were seized during the raid after Realme raised a complaint with the local police. The confiscated goods include earphones, USB cables, power adapters, and batteries.
The local police arrested two accused during the raid and they were released on bail. Realme said that it plans to conduct more raids soon to combat counterfeit goods issue.
Lear MoreU.S. Customs and Border Protection seize $83k worth of counterfeit designer products
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency along with the Port of New Orleans announced Monday that they seized $83,000 worth of counterfeit designer products.
Officers seized counterfeit Louis Vuitton and Mac products on Thursday from an express consignment facility.
Officers found 75 Gucci and Hermes belts, as well as Louis Vuitton duffle bags, backpacks, wallets, and purses, and 10 Mac brush kits. All of the items were seized pursuant to 19 USC 1526e for bearing the counterfeit trademarks, according to a news release issued by U.S. Customs.
“Even through challenging times, our officers continue to protect consumers and jobs by intercepting and seizing fraudulent goods,” said CBP Port of New Orleans Director Terri Edwards. “It’s a shame that there are people out there using this time to traffic illegitimate merchandise, but we commend our officers for protecting American consumers from these fraudulent purchases.”
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