Cigarette smuggling causing over Rs 20bn loss annually
The country suffers an annual loss of over Rs 20 billion owing of illegal tobacco trade as international smugglers have allegedly forge a nexus with Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to target local cigarette manufacture companies through a fake report. According to local cigarette companies, smuggled cigarettes are available in the market despite the presence of the intelligence directorates general of the Customs Department and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
“If FBR effectively checks non-duty paid items, smuggled items would not be available in the federal capital,” the companies said, adding that the main reason for the failure to control cigarette smuggling was lack of efforts by the agencies.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/13-Apr-16/cigarette-smuggling-causing-over-rs-20bn-loss-annually
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Alibaba to combat product counterfeiting and piracy
Alibaba Group has become the first e-commerce company to join the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) – the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to combating product counterfeiting and piracy. “Preserving the integrity of Alibaba’s marketplaces is a top priority. Counterfeiting is a global, industry-wide issue, and effective collaboration with brands, retailers, trade associations, governments and other industry partners is a key component to our overall success,” said Matthew Bassiur, Vice President and Head of Global IP Enforcement at Alibaba Group.
“IACC membership will further enhance our earnest efforts to forge closer relationships with brands as we continue to explore and implement innovative solutions to address counterfeiting. We strongly value our partnership with the IACC and its members and are proud to be a part of this prestigious coalition.”
http://postandparcel.info/72377/news/alibaba-to-combat-product-counterfeiting-and-piracy/
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60 per cent water, juice in Kenya is counterfeit – KRA
More of the water and juice on the Kenyan market is counterfeit, KRA has said, noting the loss of billions of shillings in revenue. Commissioner general John Njiraini said they are keen on taming the sector to ensure customers receive quality products and taxes are paid.
“The water and juice sector is one of the fastest growing industries in the country but statistics indicate over 60 per cent of the products are illicit,” he said.
In an address in Naivasha at the weekend, Njiraini announced plans to introduce the excise stamps management programme to the sector.
Village distillery churns out fake premium liquor, busted
A gang that produced spurious liquor and distributed it as premium liquor brands with original holograms procured from Haryana was busted in Ghaziabad on Friday.Police said the gang used a mix of cheap spirit and chemicals and added dollops of caramel to give the liquor colour. They recycled bottles of the original brands as well as the labels and, as a mark of authenticity, pasted original three-dimensional holograms on the bottles they distributed.A joint raid conducted by the police and the Ghaziabad excise department unearthed the racket operating from a small factory in Bamhetta near Hapur Bypass road. All the components were made in-house and the end product looked exactly like the original.
Lear MoreN.J. inmate gets 4 years for his part in tobacco smuggling ring
One of the eight New Jersey State Prison inmates originally accused of participating in a large-scale tobacco smuggling operation into the prison was sentenced for his involvement Friday. Mitchell West was given a 4-year sentence Friday after he was convicted of financial facilitation of criminal activity. West, who is in prison on an unrelated attempted murder charge, is accused of directing payments to Eric Dawson, a former corrections officer at the prison in 2013.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2016/04/nj_inmate_gets_4_years_for_his_part_in_tobacco_smu.html
Lear MoreOklahomans Latest Victims of Targeted Cigarette Tax Hike Campaign
The purported “popularity” of a particular piece of public policy should not be the end-all justification for its passage. Such is certainly the case with efforts to raise taxes on tobacco products. Many state lawmakers have labeled these tax hikes as a win-win for taxpayers and the government because they have bought into the fallacy, perpetuated by organizations like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, that the state revenue impact and affect on consumer behavior justify the targeting of low-income taxpayers with regressive tax hikes. These proponents are wrong.
http://www.atr.org/oklahomans-latest-victims-targeted-cigarette-tax-hike-campaign#ixzz46GPxY6Sh
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Teenage couple caught smuggling tobacco at Leeds Bradford Airport
A TEENAGE couple were caught trying to smuggle tobacco valued at more than £11,000 in unpaid duty through Leeds Bradford Airport, a court heard. KamilOsinski, 19, and partner Paulina Prusakiewicz, also 19, both of Torun, Poland, arrived at the airport on a flight from Tenerife on July 24, 2015. Inside their luggage, Border Force officers discovered 34,420 cigarettes and 15 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco.
The case was passed to HMRC to investigate and, during interview,Prusakiewicz said an unnamed male, who knew she was going on holiday, had given her money to buy the tobacco.
Warning up vs fake, smuggled cigarettes
The rampant rise and open selling of smuggled cigarettes in many parts of Mindanao have prompted revenue, customs and police authorities to renew their drive against untaxed cigarette brands.
These contrabands are considered detrimental to both consumers and the local economy as they are openly displayed and sold by thousands of stores in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Iligan, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga Peninsula and the Cotabato region.
Any person caught in possession or selling smuggled or fake cigarettes will be charged and penalized accordingly.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/778094/warning-up-vs-fake-smuggled-cigarettes#ixzz458cu0awZ
Lear MoreNASCAR News: Derek White suspended for alleged smuggling involvement
Xfinity Series owner and driver Derek White has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for violation of its membership policy.
The 45-year-old White was arrested Wednesday as part of what authorities are calling the biggest tobacco-smuggling bust in North American history.
On Monday, NASCAR reached a decision and made a huge announcement that it’s suspending White for violating a section of the Xfinity Series Rule Book that states: “Any NASCAR member charged with any violation of the law (misdemeanor and/or felony) shall notify NASCAR … prior to the next scheduled Event or within 72 hours of being so charged, whichever is earlier.”
Suspended sentence for involvement in £110,000 tobacco smuggling operation
A local man and a juvenile have been sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for a year, for being involved in a £110,000 illegal tobacco operation.
19-year-old Shane Soiza and a 16-year-old co-defendant were also fined £1,500 each. Their lawyers described the defendants as “foot soldiers”, hired to wrap the tobacco cartoans ready for exportation.
The RGP seized the tobacco from a store within Francis Building in February.
http://www.gbc.gi/news/suspended-sentence-involvement-110000-tobacco-smuggling-operation-31896
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