75,000 counterfeit sunglasses seized at Mumbai port
At least 75,000 counterfeit sunglasses of top brands were seized by the Customs department at the city port terminal. The investigating officials said that the seized sunglasses are counterfeits of various brands including Ray Ban, Prada, and Lacoste. The seized consignment was part of a container which arrived from China last week. The officials said that the seizure was made based on specific inputs. “If sold in the open market as originals, the estimated worth of the consignment was around Rs 25 crore,” the official said.
The sources said that of the total 75,000 pieces , over 73,000 fake sunglasses carried the logo of Ray Ban company. The consignment was imported by a company called Genius Trading Company.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-75000-counterfeit-sunglasses-seized-at-mumbai-port-2077580
Lear More
Underhand resellers under fire as Fair Trading seizes thousands of fake Apple, LG, Samsung, Huawei and Motorola products
“Retailers should not be selling unapproved products and consumers should avoid buying them by being careful in their purchases.” Fair Trading authorities have raided a string of dodgy resellers across New South Wales, seizing thousands of unapproved and counterfeit products, including fake USB phone chargers.
In revealing the outcome of recent captures across the state, NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe confirmed that at one premises in particular, as many as 4,573 items were found and have been seized.
Counties told to enforce rules on fake products
County governments have been asked to customise the Anti-Counterfeit Act to fight substandard goods. An Anti-Counterfeit Agency official said it will be easier to fight counterfeits if counties customise the 2008 counterfeit law.
“Counties need to join in this fight to end sale of counterfeits, especially those products made in specific counties,” Edith Kosgei said. “We are working round the clock to ensure businesspeople in counties do not produce substandard goods,” she said.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/04/13/counties-told-to-enforce-rules-on-fake-products_c1329682
Lear More
Oman launches programme for identifying fake mobile devices
Consumers in Oman who are buying a mobile phone can now make sure if the product on offer is genuine or fake.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Wednesday launched a new automated programme that enables consumers to identify fake mobile devices, including tablets and mobile phones.
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
Lear More
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/
Lear More
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
Lear More