Illegal tobacco seized in Gateshead shops thanks to sniffer dogs Finn and Gunner
Sniffer dogs have been used in searches for illegal cigarettes in some Tyneside shops.Cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco were seized from two convenience shops in Bensham, Gateshead, after intelligence indicated that illegal tobacco was being sold at the premises. At one store, the cigarettes were hidden in a planter under a sink, while in the other cigarettes were hidden in a cupboard behind the counter. The illegal tobacco was either counterfeit or was not labelled in English and duty had not been paid on any of the seized tobacco.Both the shopkeepers now face prosecution by Gateshead Council. Dog handlers George and Chris, along with springer spaniel dogs Finn and Gunner work for local company Assetwatch Ltd, based in Northumberland
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/illegal-tobacco-seized-gateshead-shops-9806870
Lear MoreDerby shopkeeper fined £4,000 for fake tobacco offences at Swadlincote store
A SHOPKEEPER from Derby has been fined £4,000 for possessing and selling fake tobacco. Dana Hamid, of Church Street, Littleover, admitted to eight charges at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court in Derby yesterday. He admitted seven charges of the sale and possession of counterfeit tobacco and one charge of possessing cigarettes for sale without the legally required in-built fire safety features. The offences dated from January 13, 2014, to October 1, 2014, and took place at the Sweet Shop in Church Street, Swadlincote, where Hamid had taken over the tenancy in November 2013.
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Illicit tobacco chain has devastating costs
With the recently reported court cases about Bradford being a hotspot for trading in illicit tobacco products (T&A, July 30) I would like to echo the words of Cllr Valerie Slater in condemning this activity in illegal tobacco products. The illicit tobacco supply chain has no qualms who they sell to and any control over sales to young children is non-existent with not only their health at risk but also a large financial loss to the country. The Exchequer records losses of excise duty and VAT at £2.9billion per year or £8million per day from the trade, a proportion of which is often used to finance other criminal activities.
Lear MorePrison guard accused in tobacco smuggling, bribery scheme
A prison guard was indicted on bribery charges Wednesday for allegedly smuggling tobacco to inmates at a federal prison in Leavenworth. Michael Harston, 52, was charged in U.S. District Court in Kansas City with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and four counts of accepting bribes. According to federal prosecutors, Harston took bribes between October 2013 and August 2014 in exchange for carrying contraband tobacco into United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth.
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Illegal cigarettes worth €5,000 seized at Cork horse fair
A file is to be sent to the DPP following the seizure in Cork of illegal cigarettes with a street value of €5,000. Revenue Customs Service in Cork, with assistance from gardaí, uncovered 6kg of “roll your own” tobacco and 4,800 cigarettes when a van and caravan were searched at the annual horse fair in Dunmanway on Tuesday. A man in his forties was arrested in connection with the seizure. He was subsequently released without charge.
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Stakeholders express worry over influx of fake products in Nigerian market
A renewed worry among stakeholders over the continuous existence and influx of fake products into the Nigerian market in the face of multiple regulatory agencies has developed. Those who expressed concern over this phenomenon in the recent time said the degree of the problem is annoying to the extent that it is difficult sometimes by consumers to separate fake from original products. They said the preponderance of adulterated products in almost all products sold in Nigeria is disturbing. From petroleum products to cosmetics, ICT products, building materials spare parts, computers, insecticides, to clothes, electrical equipment, cooking ingredients, bottled water and more.
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Raids Crack Down on Zig-Zag Counterfeiting
In June, on behalf of North Atlantic Operating Co. Inc. and National Tobacco Co. LP, Cantor Colburn attorney Thomas Mango and paralegal Corine Wilkinson participated in two early morning raids led by U.S. marshals to seize counterfeit Zig-Zag cigarette paper products and business records at a commercial business and a residence in Plainfield and Moosup, Conn. Each raid team consisted of two U.S. marshals, several investigators, several data and forensic specialists and an attorney/paralegal team from Venable executing seizure orders from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on a number of merchants and individuals found to be selling counterfeit Zig-Zag cigarette paper products.
http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/update-raids-crack-down-zig-zag-counterfeiting
Lear MoreCounterfeiting – Damages, Responsibilities And Solutions
Diesel recently announced that they have won a lawsuit against Cosmos World after a battle of 16 years spent fighting against the Spanish company that manufactured and sold counterfeited Diesel products in European and in Southern American countries. The business of counterfeiting appears like a huge iceberg whose size is hard to imagine because final responsibilities are hidden and hard to punish. Especially during the summer season, for instance on Italian beaches, one might be persuaded into buying counterfeited products from non-European peddlers running back and forth carrying loads of merchandise under the sun. Some “bestsellers” may include Stella McCartney bags sold at €170, fake Louis Vuitton items at €80, Hogan bags at €40, Moncler jackets for €60 and Napapjjri sweatshirts for €15. Anyone might think that, while helping someone in difficulty, he or she could get a good bargain for a “branded” product. Despite this, the consumer is not always aware that the product is not genuine or produced employing the brand name dishonestly and in some cases manufactured with materials and under conditions that can even damage one’s health. And it is very likely that the person selling those products is also seriously exploited by dishonest people and organizations – as the whole business behind counterfeiting.
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Banning e-cigarettes will lead to smuggling, warns consumer group
The majority of e-cigarette users, or vapers, would seek to buy their devices and liquids from other countries if their sales were banned in Malaysia, a survey revealed. Seeking less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, the vapers were also calling for the devices to be regulated properly and be more widely available. In a first-of-its-kind survey of adult smokers in Malaysia, regional consumer advocacy group factasia.org has found that most smokers, or 83%, see e-cigarettes as a “positive alternative” to tobacco products. The advocacy group’s co-founder, Heneage Mitchell, said the survey was to gauge consumers’ views on vaping products.
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Foreign Tobacco Producers to identify counterfeit cigarettes
Head of Zakarpattia regional state administration Hennadiy Moskal has asked Ukrainian and foreign tobacco producers to join the battle against cigarette smuggling on the western border of Ukraine
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