International fake note smuggling gang members nabbed in Delhi
Two members of an international fake Indian currency notes (FICN) smuggling racket were arrested with counterfeit notes of the face value of Rs 300,000 and suspected to be routed through Pakistan, police said.
After surveillance of nearly four months, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police nabbed 34-year-old Neetu alias Radha and 23-year-old Salim Sheikh from Seemapuri on Sunday.
“During surveillance, it was revealed that FICN was being pumped into Malda (West Bengal) by Pakistan through the porous Indo-Bangla border. From Malda, it was being handed over to racketeers in various parts of the country including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.
‘Cheap whites’: The new trend dominating tobacco black markets
Tobacco smugglers have found new ways of expanding their illegal activities and now focus on a trend called “cheap whites”, which is raising new challenges for European regulators and Europol.
The illicit tobacco trade is a global issue accounting for an estimated 10.4% of the cigarette market worldwide. In addition to being a major funding source for organised crime, the cost to European tax revenues is estimated to amount to €11.3 billion a year (See background).
The European Commission is addressing the issue as part of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and has ratified the World Health Organisation’s Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (FCTC).
https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/mondaycheap-whites-the-new-trend-dominating-tobacco-black-markets/
Tobacco industry urges war on smugglers
The Việt Nam Tobacco Association (VTA) has called for changes to the law to enable authorities to combat the increasing incidence of cigarette smuggling.
“We suggest the Government should amend the law to reduce the number of cigarettes that can be smuggled without attracting criminal charges from 1,500 to 500 packs,” Phạm Kiến Nghiệp, general secretary of VAT, told Việt Nam News.
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/343597/tobacco-industry-urges-war-on-smugglers.html#713vsWLydb1RHtga.99
Cops bust fake coin factory in Delhi
This was a mint making coins of 5 and 10 denominations, except that it wasn’t run by the government. In a rare catch, police have stumbled upon a clandestine factory in Bawana area of outer Delhi which was minting coins that looked like the real ones.
The racket was busted when one of the distributors, Naresh Kumar, was detained on suspicion by cops at a check-post in Rohini. Around one lakh coins were later seized from the factory.
Teams have been formed to arrest the two alleged masterminds of the operation, who are known by code-names Raju and Sonu. The factory manager, Rajesh Kumar, has been detained.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-bust-fake-coin-factory-in-Delhi/articleshow/54647723.cms
Curb illicit tobacco trade, smuggling
TOBACCO Institute of Southern Africa (TISA) says efforts by the Zambian government to boost foreign reserves will remain exposed if the continued loss of annual revenue taxes worth K50 million through illicit trade and smuggling is not stopped.
TISA has since called for increased law enforcement and that border controls should be a priority for stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs if Zambia is to address the country’s revenue losses, resulting from a drop in copper prices, among other factors.
https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=81146
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Illicit tobacco trade costs Zambia more than K50 million per year
Government’s efforts to shore up the national budget and boost foreign reserves remain exposed to the continued loss of taxation revenue through illicit trade and smuggling. Increased law enforcement and border controls should be a priority for stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs if Zambia is to address the country’s loss of revenue resulting from a drop incopper prices among other factors.According to the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), so profitable is the illicit trade that tobacco products are the world’s most widely smuggled legal product today. The illicit trade in tobacco products is a multi-billion-dollar business, fuelling organised crime and corruption, as well as robbing governments of much-needed tax money.In Zambia, more than 400 million cigarettes a year enter the market illicitly smuggled, counterfeited or tax-evaded, accounting for 30% of the product on the market. Stemming the flow of illicit cigarettes on the market could help bridge the national budget deficit gap.
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2016/09/29/illicit-tobacco-trade-costs-zambia-k50-million-per-year/
Warning up vs. fake products
Negrenses are being warned against the proliferation, not only of fake cigarets, that was recently discovered by authorities, but also of leading branded bar soap, shampoo, toothpaste and even noodles.
Alarmed, Board Member Alain Gatuslao, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on Laws and Ordinances, proposed a resolution yesterday that was unanimously approved by the SP, calling for a public hearing on the proliferation of fake branded products.
While he did not mention the branded products being faked, pending the public hearing next week to be presided over jointly by the SP committees on Trade and Health, Gatuslao said retailers are complaining about losing income, as fake products are being sold at 40 to 60 percent lower than original products.
Gatuslao said he will ask the Department of Health to check on the composition of fake items, that may affect the health of consumers, who use them.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/September/29/businessnews2.htm
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Economist Tips Smuggling Boom if Cigarette Prices Raised 365%
Jakarta. A plan touted by some in the government to increase cigarette prices is likely to have a disastrous affect on tobacco farmers and encourage counterfeit and smuggling in the local market, a researcher has said.Rumors of a price hike were sparked after research from the University of Indonesia’s center for health economics and policy studies found rising prices lowers cigarette consumption.The research found that 71 percent of smokers would quit entirely if the price reached Rp 50,000 ($3.75) per pack.
Dzulfian Syafrian, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), said any price hike would substantially affect the industry, pointing firstly to laborers and farmers who would likely lose their jobs.
The genuine article: How to tackle product counterfeiting
Product counterfeiting is a serious problem for industry and consumers alike.As system provider, Netstal has tackled this problem and together with its partners, says it is able to offer its customers reliable and inexpensive solutions. At this year’s K Trade Fair, Netstal will demonstrate these solutions with the help of the first ever 128-cavity pipette tip production line.
“According to an Ernst & Young study, approximately 80% of all companies globally are affected by the counterfeiting of merchandise,” said Dr Patrick Blessing, head of Netstal’s Medical Technology and Precision Parts business unit. Statistics published by the European Union show that around 36 million counterfeit products are being confiscated annually by the customs authorities of member countries. At the same time, reports are on the rise about significant harm caused by the consumption or use of counterfeit brand-name products. The risk potential nowadays is great and continues to rise. However, counterfeit products do not just pose serious risks to people, animals and the environment. In the worst-case scenario, brands affected by counterfeiting can suffer from a loss of image that cannot be fixed in the short term. Therefore, companies are increasingly looking for ways to label their products as absolutely forgery-proof in order to optimally protect themselves and the consumers of their products from harm.
http://www.medicalplasticsnews.com/news/the-genuine-article-how-to-tackle-product-counterfeiting/
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Bulgarian Interior Ministry Reports Successful Operation Against Cigarette Smugglers
The Interior Ministry reported a successful operation against cigarette smuggling in which it did not participate but provided information about the criminal group to partner institutions.
16 people were arrested in the operation including 3 Bulgarians. According to the Secretary General of the Interior Ministry Georgi Kostov, “a conspiratory and highly-organised criminal group has been neutralised.”The group was involved in the illegal manufacturing and distribution of tobacco products on the territory of various European countries.