Lorry driver jailed smuggling 400,000 cigarettes through Dov
Lorry driver who tried smuggling more than 400,000 illegal cigarettes in ice cream boxes has today been jailed.Krzysztof Wiktorowicz, from Poland, was stopped entering Dover’s Eastern Docks in November 2014.He was jailed for 14 months after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.
Border Force officers stopped and searched Wiktorowicz’s refrigerated lorry and found what appeared to be 26 pallets of ice cream.But inside officers found two pallets containing 403,200 non-UK duty paid cigarettes.
HMRC estimated this was worth almost £100,000 in lost duty and taxes to the UK government.Wiktorowicz, 45, was arrested and jailed at Maidstone Crown Court today.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news/trucker-jailed-for-smuggling-400000-102090/
Police must do more to stem counterfeit & illicit trade
Local industries, particularly those in the manufacturing and import sectors, have been reeling under an unjustifiable influx of counterfeit and illicit trade that is growing at a surprising phenomenal rate and thereby poses a clear and present danger to the economy.
It is against this backdrop that many industry watchers and players have lauded the recent capacity-building training programmeorganised by Sollatex Ghana Limited, dealers in consumer electronic goods, for officers and men of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
It became clear at the capacity-building training programme that that company was also affected by counterfeit trade as its products were being counterfeited and imported into Ghana for sale.
It is refreshing that Deputy Director General of the CID, ACP Dennis Abade, was quoted as saying at the training programme that the counterfeiting business was a global multi-billion crime which organised criminal groups used to amass wealth.
Smuggled cigarettes found in rubber plantation ‘may be linked to militants
POLICE in Pattani seized smuggled cigarettes worth Bt3.3 million from a rubber plantation in tambonThaKamcham of in NongChik district yesterday afternoon.
The 8,932 packs of smuggled cigarettes reportedly belonged to MarudingBinkasem and Kode Thor, who allegedly helped to fund militants led by Seri Taemamu and Russalan Baima.
These alleged militants have been linked to the bombing on the rail line in Pattani’sKhok Pho district late on Saturday, which killed one railway official and injured three others, as well as causing severe damage to the rear carriage of a local train. Pattani police chief Pol Maj-General ThanogsakWangsupha has said that Seri’s group may have been responsible for the attack.
It was reported that the cigarette-smuggling group was arrested for a similar offence last year and that time it led to the authorities discovering an insurgent base in NongChik, where explosives were seized and bomber suspect SabaliJehali was arrested.
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It’s Time For Real Talk About Fake Food
This may come as a bit of a surprise, butmany of the foods that are being sold to you may not be what they seem. Adulteration, fraud, and legal loopholes have led to a dire state of affairs for some of our favorite foods. Kobe beef burgers don’t actually exist. Cellulose has been found iparmesan n our. That sushi you had the other night might not have been the fishyou were promised.
So what? It was good, cheap, and filling. What’s the big deal whether or not the Chianti came from Italy or Connecticut, or if the white tuna was actually escolar?
Lear MoreAlibaba Failing to Deliver in Fight Against Fakes, Say Brands
As a U.S. trade agency considers whether to add Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to a list of marketplaces notorious for selling counterfeits, nearly a dozen trade groups are complaining that the Chinese e-commerce giant isn’t doing enough to root out fake goods.
In a letter sent to Alibaba in late August, trade groups including the Union des Fabricants, the French Federation of Leather Goods and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said that while Alibaba has taken “a great number of concrete steps” in its attempt to…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/alibaba-failing-to-deliver-in-fight-against-fakes-say-brands-1472715631
Economists Tips Smuggling Boom If Cigarette Prices Raised 365%
A plan touted by some in the government to increase cigarette prices is likely to have a disastrous effect 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.
DzulfianSyafrian, 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.
Higher oil tax encourages smuggling
Several groups have expressed concern about the proposal of the Department of Finance to impose higher excise taxes on oil and gas products, saying this could put undue burden on ordinary Filipinos and worse, encourage more smuggling.
According to Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, as much as P6 per liter could be levied on diesel and other products like bunker fuel, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas which are currently exempt from excise taxes. Meanwhile, as much as P10 increase in excise taxes for the first year is being mulled for regular gasoline, aviation fuel, leaded and unleaded premium gasoline and other oil product.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/09/01/1619141/higher-oil-tax-encourages-smuggling
Lear MoreHampton Beach shop owners arrested for selling counterfeit goods
HAMPTON – Three Hampton Beach shop owners were arrested Tuesday for selling counterfeit products after Monster Energy conducted a private investigation into the illegal use of the its company’s name.
The owners of Shirt Mania, Shirt Works, T-Shirt City, Shirt Factory, Shirts R Us, Mohab’s Jewelry and Maggie’s, all shops on Ocean Boulevard’s main drag, were arrested for allegedly selling clothing and jewelry with counterfeit Monster Energy images, according to Hampton police. Each shop owner faces one count of dealing counterfeit goods for the number of shops they owned that sold the illegal merchandise.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20160831/hampton-beach-shop-owners-arrested-for-selling-counterfeit-goods
Cypriot Customs Department finds illegal cigarette smuggling ring
An illegal cigarette smuggling ring operating between Greece and Cyprus has been discovered
An illegal cigarette smuggling ring operating between Greece and Cyprus has been discovered, CNA Greek reported on Wednesday.
Cyprus’ Customs Department found illegal cigarettes passing through the mail, and announced that officers had investigated five locations in Nicosia believed to be used as storage units for the products.
Their investigation found 55 boxes containing 200 President Slims Superlights, 50 boxes with 200 Rothmans cigarettes, and 55 boxes that included Murano-branded cigarettes. The cigarettes totaled 5,487 euros in avoided taxes.
Authorities announced that four individuals holding Greek passports had been arrested.
Counterfeiting sure is a big business but is it worth it?
In a country like India where fakes are produced more than originals at times, Counterfeiting is a big business.
As per the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition Counterfeiting is a federal and state crime, involving the manufacturing or distribution of goods under someone else’s name, and without their permission. Fake merchandise are usually produced using lower quality segments, trying to offer a shoddy impersonation of comparative products delivered by brands customers know and trust. Fake products range over various commercial ventures including everything from clothing, accessories, music, programming, meds and cigarettes, to vehicles and plane parts, purchaser merchandise, toys and gadgets.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/300816/counterfeiting-sure-is-a-big-business-but-is-it-worth-it.html