New Effort To Combat Security Threat Of Illicit Tobacco Trade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late last week, the U.S. government announced its plan to combat the illicit tobacco trade. In support of the U.S. National Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, the U.S. Department of State launched “The Global Illicit Trade in Tobacco: A Threat to National Security,” a publication outlining the emerging negative impact of the illicit trade in tobacco and the government’s efforts to combat it. The illicit trade in tobacco provides a lucrative revenue stream for organized crime and terrorists. Within the United States, the illicit trade deprives governments of tax revenues, causing approximately $3 billion to $7 billion in tax losses annually to individual states and localities.
Lear More
WARNING: Spread of plain packaging bad for Bradford producers and boost for counterfeit cigarette sales
Mr Ridgway, director of the Ilkley-based Consumer Packaging Manufacturers Alliance, said the decision of the French government to enforce plain packaging for tobacco products next year would put more pressure on pack suppliers, including Weidenhammer Packaging at Buttershaw and Chesapeake at Lidget Green, which aspect much of their output. He warned that this would boost the black market in counterfeit products. Following the introduction of plain packaging in Australia around 14 per cent of cigarette sales are now counterfeit. and Mr Ridgway says the UK will go in the same direction after May.
A narrow vote in the French parliament for the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes follows similar moves in Canada and new laws in the UK, Australia and Ireland.
Lear More
Owner of Spring Bank store faces prison after discovery of illegal tobacco worth £40,000
The owner of a city shop found with nearly 200,000 illegal cigarettes is facing jail. He pleaded guilty to eight counts relating to possession and supply of illegally-manufactured and branded cigarettes.
The store had its drinks licence revoked earlier this year after three raids uncovered more than £40,000 of illegal cigarettes and tobacco. Humberside Police and Hull City Council’s trading standards team discovered 188,000 smuggled and foreign-labelled cigarettes and 750 pouches of counterfeit hand-rolled tobacco. City trading standards manager Chris Wilson said it was a crime that could have deep repercussions for victims.
Resident fined MOP5,000 for tobacco smuggling
Macau — A Macau resident has been discovered by the Customs Service (SA) carrying an amount of cigarettes far exceeding the legal allowance into the territory. On September 17, the man was intercepted at the Gongbei Border in possession of six packages totaling 1,200 cigarettes.
The merchandise was immediately confiscated and the Service penalized the resident with an accessory fine of MOP5,000. According to the SA investigation, the goods seized and found were likely destined to be sold in Macau with a profit margin of 30 percent. Dissatisfied with the decision of the SA, the resident appealed, claiming to be unemployed and receiving only a monthly subsidy from the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) of MOP1,500.The case reached its final stage with the Administrative Court (TA) rejecting the claims from the applicant and upholding the decision of the SA director.
http://macaudailytimes.com.mo/resident-fined-mop5000-for-tobacco-smuggling.html
Lear MoreState Department group sees illicit cigarette trafficking as security threat
Virginia – A recent U.S. Department of State report on illegal tobacco trafficking deems it a lucrative revenue source for organized crime and terrorists in addition to costing state and local governments in the U.S. an estimated $3 billion to $7 billion in tax losses each year. Internationally, it fuels transnational crime, corruption, and terrorism,” the report says. “As it converges with other criminal activities, it undermines the rule of law and the licit market economy, and creates greater insecurity and instability in many of today’s security ‘hot spots’ around the world. Illicit tobacco provides a significant revenue stream to illicit actors without the high risks and punishments associated with trafficking in narcotics or humans.
The most recent estimate of the global tax loss to black market cigarette trafficking is $40 billion to $50 billion, the report says.
Over 27m contraband cigarettes destroyed
Dengkil — Over 27 million contraband cigarettes seized by the Federal Territory Customs Department since 1997 was destroyed at the Enforcement Division of Dengkil Customs Office here today. The cigarettes, consisting various brands, weighed 23.59 tonnes and valued at RM2.8 million and RM16.82 million in unpaid taxes. A total of 1,003 people were arrested in relation to the distribution and sale of these cigarettes in which some 50 percent were foreigners.
http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/12/115472/over-27m-contraband-cigarettes-destroyed
Lear MoreNewcastle’s biggest ever haul of seized illegal cigarettes and alcohol
Newcastle – Sniffer dogs YoYo and Scamp helped officers from Newcastle’s trading standards team search five properties across the city – uncovering 30,000 illegal cigarettes, illegal tobacco, and more than 400 bottles of whisky and vodka.
The bounty with a street value of £15,000 were uncovered by the specially trained sniffer dogs.
A total of 430 bottles of suspected illicit whisky and vodka and 14,000 cigarettes were seized from two shops in the West End along with a further 800 cigarettes from a city centre takeaway.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/see-newcastles-biggest-ever-haul-10543245
Lear More
Four north shields off-licences raided in counterfeit tobacco crackdown
Tyneside – Sharp-nosed dogs helped to sniff out a hidden stash of illegal tobacco across shops in Tyneside. The animals are trained to locate tobacco in hidden concealments, such as in ceiling areas, behind panels and under floorboards.
Based on intelligence received by the team, searches were carried out at four off-licences in the North Shields area. Inside were dozens of packets of Super King and Mayfair cigarettes as well as hand rolling Turner tobacco. The seized items were a mixture of counterfeit products and those that had no duty paid, officials said. The sale of illegal cigarettes costs the public purse billions each year in unpaid duty, not to mention the obvious health risks associated with smoking which will be felt by young people who these items are regularly sold to.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/four-north-shields-licences-raided-10541043
Lear More
Scant evidence EU tobacco deal curbed smuggling
Brussels – According to the Commission, EU member states reported that they seized 4.5 billion cigarettes in 2005, and 3.1 billion in 2013. In a 2013 report to the parliament and national capitals, the commission said that the agreement with Phillip Morris International(PMI), and three others like it with the other big tobacco companies, “have clearly led to a significant reduction in the presence of these companies’ products on the illicit market”.
In 2011, the share of seized cigarettes with “other brands”, i.e. brands from companies that don’t have an agreement with the EU, reached 58 percent.But a decreased share of PMI’s cigarettes in seizures does not automatically mean an absolute decrease in smuggled goods, just as that a rise in police reports does not directly prove an increase in crime.
https://euobserver.com/investigations/131266
Lear More
Mirrored in fake imitations
The small hamlet of Aranmula situated on the banks of the Pampa river is known internationally for its unique metal mirror, Aranmula Kannadi. This marvellous piece of ancient metallurgy is now facing threat from fake imitations.
The ancient technology behind it is restricted to a very few families of craftsmen.
But now others are trying their hand in the unique mirror-making process.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/mirrored-in-fake-imitations/article7932025.ece
Lear More