Nigeria: Customs Uncovers Plan to Smuggle Dangerous Items Into Nigeria
Lagos — The Nigerian Customs Service says it has uncovered plan by some high profile criminal gangs to smuggle dangerous items into the country using delivery trucks belonging to courier companies. Consequently, the service said it has opened an investigation into the discovery of contraband items hidden in consignments in trucks from Benin Republic to Nigeria through the Lagos and Ogun states borders.The investigation may not be unconnected with the recent arrest of a truck suspected to belong to a courier company used in conveying 100 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products and several used tyres. The arrest was made by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service attached to Headquarters Compliance at Owode-Idiroko border, Ogun State. The team, led by Assistant Comptroller of Customs ShittuAjibola, accosted the smugglers along Ijebu-Ode-1Sagamu axis in the state.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201601210676.html
Lear MoreAnti-counterfeit boss calls for collaboration in fight against fake products
There is need to collaborate within government agencies and other major stakeholders in the fight against counterfeit products in the country.
The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) CEO John Akoten said the war against counterfeit products should be given an all-inclusive approach.
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday during a forum organised by ACA for various stakeholders, Akoten said the agency wants to conduct a research so as to quantify the amount of counterfeit goods in the country to better combat the problem.
http://www.hivisasa.com/kisumu/news/111205
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Egypt launches authentication system for food, pharma
Dr. Khaled HanafiEgypt is turning to an SMS-based verification systemin a bid to prevent consumers being exposed to counterfeit food, beverages and pharmaceuticals.The project has been funded by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade and Ministry of Military Production, and was unveiled at a press conference earlier this month.The verification platform consists of labels – with randomised serial numbers in human-readable form and incorporated into a barcode – which can be sent to a registered number via SMS using a regular mobile phone or a smartphone.
Cigarette smuggling rife in Cyprus say MPs
Cigarette and tobacco smuggling is booming in Cyprus, costing the state millions in taxes and known individuals are behind it, MPs said on Tuesday. The House Watchdog Committee discussed the issue in the wake of the seizure of 19.5 tonnes of tobacco in Aradippou in October, the largest haul to date. “Let us not hide our heads in the sand,” AKEL MP Irini Charalambidou said. “There is a smuggling ring and there are known individuals hiding behind it.” Charalambidou said chaos reigned supreme.
http://cyprus-mail.com/2016/01/19/cigarette-smuggling-rife-in-cyprus-say-mps/
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Counterfeits to hurt India’s manufacturing sector: A report
The activities of counterfeiting and smuggling are presenting a bigger challenge for enforcement authorities and governments globally and in India. As per World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) estimates, approximately 3 billion pieces of counterfeit and pirated products were seized in 2013. Of these, more than half of the reported goods were illicit pharmaceutical products (2.3 billion pieces), followed by electronic appliances (470 million pieces), other taxable products (95 million) and foodstuff (50 million), amongst other commodities. For other industries such as tobacco, a significant rise in illicit trade have been reported. It indicated that in 2012 the illicit trade, rose to 40 percent making tobacco trafficking, a serious issue for customs organisations.
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Decline in smuggled counterfeits, Dubai Customs says
Dubai: The smuggling of counterfeit goods has dropped by almost 58 per cent between 2014 and 2015, according to the latest figures provided by Customs officials.
In contrast to 306 seizures of intellectual property-infringing goods by Dubai Customs in 2014, official figures showed that only 126 seizures were made in Dubai between January and November 2015, the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Department said.
Yousuf Ozair Mubarak, director of IPR department at Dubai Customs, said that the counterfeit goods seized covered a wide range of products from clothes, mobile phones and accessories to cigarettes and auto spare parts.
“The estimated value of seizures of counterfeit goods was Dh14.85 mil
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/decline-in-smuggled-counterfeits-dubai-customs-says-1.1656085
Lear MoreGlobal Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Market Set to Grow at a CAGR of over 15% by 2020, Says Technavio
Technavio analysts forecast the global anti-counterfeit packaging market to reach around USD 134 billion by 2020, according to their latest report.
The report explains the main growth drivers of the anti-counterfeit packaging market, including the rising need for traceability systems and the increasing demand for anti-counterfeit packaging from emerging nations. “Counterfeiting has become a matter of concern for all businesses globally. As per the data provided by the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce, 5-9% of the annual global trade is accounted for by counterfeit goods and products. Counterfeit packaging has become a common problem, posing many challenges to businesses, especially to companies operating in the F&B, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries,” explains Technavio’s lead research analyst, Sharan Raj M.
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Health warning: Pills you take may be fake
A 60-year-old Jiaxing man paid a company 280,000 yuan (US$42,607) to purchase medicine purported to improve health, even though his family warned him that the products might be fake.
The man didn’t believe the warning until two Jiaxing policemen, disguised as applicants for jobs in the company, gathered the evidence to expose the scam. The company turned out to be fraudulent, bilking unwary consumers of more than 2 million yuan across China. The purported “medicine,” sold at 1,900 yuan per box, turned out to have a value of only a few yuan.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/hangzhou/Health-warning-Pills-you-take-may-be-fake/shdaily.shtml
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Iran’s lawmakers criticize custom services over smuggling goods, arms
An Iranian lawmaker has said that some people smuggle arms and alcoholic beverages from Iraq to Iran using fuel tankers.
Abrolreza Mesri has said that the fuel tankers which carry illegal equipment continue crossing the Iranian borders, Mehr news agency reported Jan. 16.
“The fuel products are imported from Iraq and it is unclear who issues permit for importing the fuel products. Arms and alcoholic beverages are carried by the tankers,” Mesri added.
“It is unclear who is benefited from the fuel tankers that even ministers are unable to encounter them,” he added.
http://www.azernews.az/region/91761.html
Lear MorePPP for consumer awareness
Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan being welcome to the regional conference of the Consumer Affairs Departments of Southern States, in Bengaluru on Saturday. Consumer Protection Authority to initiate a strong consumer protection regime, the Union government is working on stringent consumer laws encompassing a product liability clause. State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundurao looks on.To protect consumers from misleading advertisements and sale of fake products, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs is now focussing on creating consumer awareness through a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative. Announcing this decision here on Saturday, Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that the Union government has also discussed with companies, the possibility of setting aside a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility fund to create consumer awareness, especially in rural areas.
http://www.nyoooz.com/bengaluru/322640/ppp-for-consumer-awareness
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