Incidents of cigarettes, tobacco smuggling jump 136% in 2 yrs: FICCI
Incidents of cigarettes and tobacco products smuggling in India increased by 136 per cent in 2016-17 from 2014-15, according to a report by FICCI CASCADE.
The number of incidents of smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco products increased to to 3,108 cases in 2016-17 from 1,312 cases in 2014-15, it added.
FICCI CASCADE, an industry body working on addressing the issue of illicit trade activities in India, also said that while there is an increase in vigilance by enforcement agencies, seizures were only the tip of the iceberg of a much larger and threatening operation in illegal trade in the country.
Maximum revenue loss to the exchequer came from illicit trade of tobacco products, mobile phones, alcoholic beverages, it said. The report said the total loss to the government on account of illicit trade in just seven manufacturing sectors was Rs 392.39 billion in 2014.
Lear More
CBP seizes more than $1 million of counterfeit speakers at International Falls port
More than $1 million of counterfeit home theater speaker systems in a rail car headed for Ranier were seized in February by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
CBP Office of Field Operations officers working at the International Falls Port of Entry targeted a rail container destined to arrive in Ranier. In February, CBP officers inspected the rail container and discovered merchandise in violation of intellectual property rights regulations.
The merchandise consisted of 480 home theater speaker systems. Examination of the speaker systems revealed counterfeit markings. The counterfeit merchandise has an aggregate manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1.38 million.
“Counterfeiting adversely affects lawful rights holders of their original ideas and the ability to make a profit from them,” Anthony Jackson, International Falls port director, said in a news release. “Counterfeiting also harms consumers because manufacturers of forged products have little motivation to use safe, high-quality materials in their products.”
Lear MoreFICCI seeks amendment in Form 27 & patent law to facilitate commercialisation of patented product & ease of doing business.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the patent office to amend Form 27 and update Patent Rules in line with international best practices so as to befit emerging technological fields, make commercialization of patented invention more easier and facilitate ease of doing business.
Form 27 needs to be submitted by patentees under Section 146 (2) of The Patents Act, 1970 providing details of commercial working of a patent in India.
Said Dipankar Barkakati, additional director and head – IPR & FICCI CASCADE at FICCI, “Existing Form 27 requirement has become redundant, burdensome, hampers ease of doing business, makes commercialization of patented invention more difficult and is not aligned to international best practices. There is thus an urgent need to remove Section 146 (working statement requirement from statute book). While, such a change in the law may take some time, meanwhile, may we request patent office to consider updating the Patent Rules and amend ‘Form 27’ befitting the emerging technological fields.”
http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=108375&sid=1
Lear More
Four busts at IGI airport: Gold smuggling, now in fruit drink mixture
For the last two months, 30-year-old Sahansha had been desperately looking for an opportunity to return to his village in Rajasthan from Riyadh. He had landed in Abu Dhabi with high hopes, but had soon realised that he had been cheated on the pretext of a job.
Then he got an offer: He would get Rs 8,000 and a ticket to India, but would have to carry along a packet with a powdered fruit drink mixture. In reality, though, the packet contained 695 grams of gold — in the form of granules. Clueless, he landed in Delhi — only to be apprehended by Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday.
The seizure is one of four cases at IGI airport in the past month of gold granules being found inside such packets. “Gold granules mixed with fruit drink powder are hard to detect. Smugglers mix them in a way that it’s impossible to spot it with the naked eye. But customs officials segregate the two powders using sieves of different sizes, and detect it in an X-ray scanner,” a senior official said.
Lear More‘Tobacco, mobiles and booze are fast-moving duplicates’
Tobacco, mobile phones and alcoholic beverages are the three products, in that order, that figure in spurious/illicit trade the most, according to the FICCI Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE).
by FICCI as part of a nation-wide awareness campaign to highlight the growing menace of illegal trade activities in the district.
More than 150 students and consumers with candles in their hand and banners stating ‘Buy Genuine Not Smuggled’ participated in congregation in the city. Fr Titto Varghese, principal, Christ Nagar College and Savio Mathew, head FICCI Kerala State Council felicitated the campaign.
IGP Crime Branch S Sreejith was the chief guest. He congratulated FICCI CASCADE for taking the steps to enrol the youth in the fight against illegal trade such as smuggled and counterfeit goods. Sreejith said the activities involving illegal curbs economic independence and one must pledge to not use fake products. He said the fight against smuggling is a necessity in the larger interest of the nation’s economy.
Lear More
Candlelight Campaign Against Counterfeits
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students of Christ Nagar College participated in a candlelight congregation, organised by FICCI as part of a nation-wide awareness campaign to highlight the growing menace of illegal trade activities in the district.
More than 150 students and consumers with candles in their hand and banners stating ‘Buy Genuine Not Smuggled’ participated in congregation in the city. Fr Titto Varghese, principal, Christ Nagar College and Savio Mathew, head FICCI Kerala State Council felicitated the campaign.
IGP Crime Branch S Sreejith was the chief guest. He congratulated FICCI CASCADE for taking the steps to enrol the youth in the fight against illegal trade such as smuggled and counterfeit goods. Sreejith said the activities involving illegal curbs economic independence and one must pledge to not use fake products. He said the fight against smuggling is a necessity in the larger interest of the nation’s economy.
Lear More
Countering counterfeiting
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to generate awareness about the growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is organising a workshop on ‘Combating smuggling, counterfeiting and piracy – an imperative to accelerate economic development’ on February 21 at 10 am at Hotel Vivanta by Taj.
Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar will inaugurate the programme. ‘’Counterfeiting and smuggling activities are highly pervasive across countries and sectors, representing a multi-billion-dollar industry globally that continues to grow and impact commerce and industry, government, economies and the society at large. According to recent estimates, by the year 2022, the value of counterfeit and pirated goods will be around $2.81 trillion. Hence, it is increasingly imperative to deliberate on this subject and find ways and means to mitigate this challenge,’’ FICCI said in a statement.
Lear MoreSeminar on Counterfeiting, Smuggling on Feb 21
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 19 (UNI) A seminar on ‘Combating Counterfeiting and Smuggling — An Imperative to Accelerate Economic Development’ will be held here on February 21.
The objective of the event is to outline the impact of counterfeiting and smuggling.
Senior Government officials of Industries, Commerce, Police and Customs departments will take part in the discussions during the seminar.
The event is organised by FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying Economy (CASCADE).
Kerala Agriculture Minister Adv. V. S. Sunil kumar, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman will grace the occasion.
http://www.uniindia.com/seminar-on-counterfeiting-smuggling-on-feb-21/states/news/1142917.html
Lear More
60,000 cigarettes, 30 kilos of rolling tobacco seized after car stopped in Derry
A 48-year-old man has been arrested, and approximately 60,000 cigarettes and more than 30 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco (HRT), seized by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) today in Derry.
The man was interviewed by HMRC officers on Friday 16 February, after a car was stopped by the PSNI in the the city area and searched. A quantity of cigarettes and HRT were discovered inside the car. HMRC officers also carried out a follow up search at a domestic premises in Newry and seized more tobacco products. The suspected illicit tobacco products are worth an estimated £33,000 in lost duty and taxes. Steve Tracey, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:
“Tobacco fraudsters undercut legitimate retailers depriving the UK of money needed to fund our public services. “HMRC will continue to target the supply of illicit tobacco, which costs the UK around £2.5 billion a year.
Lear More
Eight million cigarettes seized by customs at Belfast port
A major cigarette smuggling operation has been disrupted by customs officers at Belfast port.
Eight million cigarettes destined for sale in the UK were discovered hidden on a ship from Singapore on Saturday, the Border Force said.
The load was listed as bed linen with a delivery address in Co Down, but during the search officers discovered 40 pallets with a total of 800 boxes containing the cigarettes.
This is the biggest single seizure of cigarettes at the port in six years.
Border Force said had the smuggling attempt not been stopped it could have cost the Treasury approximately £2.6 million in unpaid duty and VAT.
John Oldham, assistant director for Border Force Northern Ireland, said: “By stopping the shipment Border Force has starved those responsible of the proceeds of their criminality.
Lear More