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
Fined €30,000 for tobacco smuggling
Customs fined a Greek Cypriot man €30,000 for smuggling 277 cartons of cigarettes and 22.7 kilos of tobacco from the Turkish occupied areas in the north of the island.The contraband was seized by police last Saturday, while the man was arrested.
Following an out of court settlement, the man agreed to pay €30,000 and he was released, a written statement said.The cigarettes and tobacco were left in the possession of customs.
The law allows the customs department to impose fines up to three times the value of the cigarettes.Authorities are particularly strict with cigarettes and tobacco coming from the north.
http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/08/30/fined-e30000-tobacco-smuggling/
Excise dept campaigns against alcohol fraud
Alarmed by the increasing rate of alcohol counterfeit in Rajasthan, that had been a less heard of thing in the past, the Excise department has set off a combined enforcement and awareness drive to curb the menace. Authorities who held a massive campaign by raiding at more than 10,000 liquor manufacturing units in less than a month have arrested 608 persons for selling substandard products. Apart from the seizure and raids, the department is also collaborating with the Confederation of Indian Alcohol Beverages Companies (CIABC) which is the apex body for branded segment of wines and spirits, on an awareness drive to ensure prevention of liquor counterfeiting and quality control.
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Abu Dhabi Customs foils 7,224 smuggling attempts
Thousands of banned substances, foreign currency and counterfeit money and brands seized during the first half of 2016
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Customs inspectors foiled thousands of attempts to smuggle illegal substances into the UAE during the first half of 2016, officials said on Monday.
According to the latest customs figures, as many as 7,224 seizures were recorded by customs authorities during the period — an increase of 12.3 per cent over the 6,435 cases in the first half of 2015.
These involved attempts to smuggle illicit drugs, counterfeit goods, alcohol and other drugs requiring prescription, as well as cases involving illegal immigrants, commercial fraud and money smuggling — all which represented the bulk of the work by customs officials, a new customs report reveals.
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/abu-dhabi-customs-foils-7-224-smuggling-attempts-1.1887372
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