China’s counterfeiters aided by Western firms’ weak response
WENZHOU, China (AP) — An Associated Press investigation published last week uncovered systemic fraud in China’s anti-counterfeiting industry. Major multinational companies, blind to problems on the ground, unwittingly paid investigators who themselves manufactured or sold counterfeit goods. In other cases, investigators colluded with the very counterfeiters they were supposed to expose.Fraud in the anti-counterfeiting industry goes well beyond luxury fashion goods, and has impacted products that can be dangerous — including auto parts, pharmaceuticals and critical electrical components,
Many firms treat counterfeiting as a minor cost of doing business in China. Few spend the money required to tackle the powerful, hidden networks that drive China’s multibillion-dollar counterfeiting juggernaut.
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Cigarette smuggler who jumped bail gets 5 years’ jail
Singapore – A key member of a contraband cigarette smuggling syndicate has been sentenced to five years in jail for his involvement in two smuggling cases. Customs officers raided a warehouse at Loyang Crescent the following day and seized more than 2,999 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, which were hidden in modified bed headboards imported into Singapore from Batam. The duty and GST evaded amounted to more than S$309,000.
Under the Customs Act and the GST Act, those convicted of buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are liable to a fine of up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, or imprisonment for up to six years, or both.
Lear MoreAlibaba Warned by U.S. to Combat Sales of Counterfeit Products
Alibaba Holding Group Ltd. has to do a better job of fighting the sale of counterfeit goods and pirated materials on its e-commerce websites if it wishes to remain off the U.S. government’s annual “Notorious Markets List,” according to a warning Thursday from the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative. While the federal agency stopped short of putting Alibaba on the registry, it issued a stern warning that the company’s efforts to fight piracy and respond to complaints would be monitored in the coming year for signs of improvement.
The office of the trade representative called for Alibaba to simplify the process for stakeholders to lodge complaints and request enforcement action, make procedures to remove counterfeit products readily available and reduce the timelines for removing counterfeit goods and levying fines against sellers.
Smuggling, counterfeits resulted in Rs39,239 crore loss to govt in 2014
Bengaluru – Smuggling and counterfeiting of goods in India has cost an estimated loss of Rs39,239 crore to government in 2014, says a report by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), a lobby group.
The illicit market has grown 49.84% from 2012, the first time FICCI commissioned such a study, the trade body said. It covered nine industries that included alcoholic beverages, tobacco, auto components, computer hardware, packaged consumer foods, personal consumer goods, mobile phones, motion pictures and broadcasting.The maximum revenue loss, 23% of the overall loss estimated to the exchequer was in tobacco, followed by mobile phones at 17% and alcohol beverages at 16%, the study said.Due to high tax rates and complex structures in levy collection across states, a major share of the tobacco market has been taken up by fake products, said P.C. Jha, adviser to Ficci Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE), which commissioned the report. The study was conducted by Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TARI), a non-profit think-tank, for FICCI.
Smuggled Cigarettes Worth Over Rs 15 Lakh Seized
Meghalaya – The officers of Customs Headquarters, Preventive Unit, Shillong have seized 40 cartons of “Ruili River” brand filter cigarettes worth Rs 15.97 lakh, manufactured by Myanmar Cigarette Factory from the Booking Counter of Kamakhya Railway Station, Guwahati on December 14.The consignment was mis-declared as “damaged tobacco product”.
The smugglers of foreign cigarettes use courier agencies, railways and passenger buses to transport such contraband to different parts of the country.
As per an earlier report, Assam and Meghalaya were incurring revenue losses to the tune of Rs 700 crore every year due to illegal trade of cigarettes, which are manufactured locally as well as smuggled from neighbouring countries.Besides, it was reported that almost 23 crore illegal tax-evaded cigarette sticks are sold in these two states every month.
http://www.northeasttoday.in/smuggled-cigarettes-worth-over-rs-15-lakh-seized-meghalaya/
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Illegal tobacco on Merseyside: Buying cheap cigarettes is not a victimless crime
Tobacco smugglers are putting legitimate shops – and their workers – at risk by encouraging smokers to turn to black market cigarettes sold at a cut rate.
The shop bosses also said their staff play a part in combating underage smoking, arguing street dealers and counterfeiters do not care who they sell to. All of the products were illegal as UK taxes had not been paid on them. At least one of the products is known to have contained counterfeit tobacco.
The scale of the trade was also highlighted – with Liverpool council’s Alcohol and Tobacco Unit seizing 11 kilograms of illegal tobacco and 30,500 dodgy cigarettes in 2015 alone.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/illegal-tobacco-merseyside-buying-cheap-10611450
Lear MoreFake make-up ruined my face
Shockingly, in May, police said more than 5,000 websites selling counterfeit “luxury” goods had been shut down over an 18-month period. This makes it more important than ever for shoppers to know exactly what they’re filling their loved ones’ stockings with.
Selling fake products online is fraud and is illegal. But in recent years, there’s been a huge rise in the number of criminal gangs recreating unsafe copies of branded products. Some bogus cosmetics contain up to 19 times the legal levels of lead.
It is so dangerous, that police have issued a national alert.
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Coast makes it easy for illegal tobacco smuggling to be industry in own right
Torquay – The close proximity of the English Channel to South Devon has made it easy for tobacco to be illegally smuggled.
It is an ongoing issue and it is increasing, particularly as a result of the high levels of taxation in the country. The level of roll-your-own cigarettes is higher than average in the south west, and they are easier to smuggle.
People are finding more ways to smuggle cigarettes into the country, be it legal or illegal, and it is having a massive effect on retailers.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/746393/whos-investigating-fake-chinese-goods-fake-investigators
Lear MorePolice bust alleged illicit tobacco importation gang
Melbourne – Police have seized more than $8 million of assets after busting an alleged illicit tobacco importation gang. The cigarettes, and 44.5kg of molasses tobacco, was imported into Melbourne by air. The consignment was declared as printer and mobile phone accessories. ACC acting Executive Director Operations, Col Blanch, said organised crime is entrenched within the illicit tobacco market in Australia. “Organised criminals perceive the illicit tobacco market to be a low risk, high profit enterprise. However, this investigation demonstrates that the risk is increasing,” Mr Blanch said.
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Bac Giang destroys smuggled Chinese products
BAC GIANG— BacGiang’s market management forces yesterday confiscated and destroyed three tonnes of smuggled Chinese traditional medicines and farm products. The destroyed goods were estimated to be worth about VND1.7 billion (nearly US$76,000). The smuggled medicines and farm products were detected and seized while they were being transported from Lang Son to BacGiang. The owner of the goods, Bui Minh Duc from Lang Son Province, could not show any legal documents linked to the cargo.
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/279903/bac-giang-destroys-smuggled-chinese-products.html
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