Israel’s Shin Bet, Tax Authority Foil Arms Smuggling Into Gaza
Customs agents working with the Shin Bet security agency have thwarted four attempts in recent months to smuggle weapons components into Gaza through the Nitzana border crossing in southern Israel, the Israeli Tax Authority said Monday.
According to a statement posted on the Tax Authority’s website, banned products of various kinds, including components needed for the production of weapons, were seized at the Israel-Egypt border crossing four times over the past few months.
Weight-loss supplement laced with Prozac ‘a fake’
FDA building signA weight-loss supplement sold by USPlabs was found to contain the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s antidepressant Prozac, according to the FDA, although the manufacturer disputes the claim.The US regulator issued an alert late last month after it emerged that samples of OxyElite Pro Super Thermogenic (OEP) were found on analysis to contain fluoxetine. USPlabs is claiming that the product tested was however counterfeit.
One in three people who order designer products online receive a fake – prompting retailers to advise customers how to spot counterfeit items
A third of Americans have purchased designer goods online which have turned out to be fakes.
According to new research by fashion retailer Crossroads Trading, which surveyed 1,000 adults, one in three people who had ordered a designer item online were left furious when a counterfeit product arrived on their doorstep.
Almost half of those participants said the fake item was of poor quality, while 43 per cent said it looked nothing like the original picture.
RM2.4 bil revenue lost due to cigarette, liquor smuggling
The country loses about RM1.9 billion in revenue annually as a result of cigarette smuggling activities and another RM500 million on revenue from unpaid duty for smuggled liquor.
Sniffer dogs discover large amounts of illegal tobacco in Lancashire raids
SNIFFER dogs helped to discover large amounts of illegal tobacco in raids carried out by Lancashire County Council trading standards.More than 1,200 packs of suspected contraband cigarettes, tobacco and tobacco blunts were seized, with the help of sniffer dogs, from 35 shops in Rossendale, Burnley, Nelson and Colne.
Fake toner products worth Dh11 million seized in RAK
The tools used in the counterfeit process, along with the duplicate products were seized in collaboration with the inspectors of the RAK Department of Economic Development.
The Ras Al Khaimah Police have seized counterfeit products of ink and toner cartridges worth Dh11 million from a villa in RAK city and busted a gang of Asians involved in the crime.
Major-General Ali Abdullah bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, Commander-in-Chief of the RAK Police, on Sunday said the Organised Crimes Section of the RAK Police was alerted that some Asian residents were dealing in counterfeit products. “The gang’s villa was put under surveillance. After the tip-off was confirmed, the villa was raided.”
Lear MoreCounterfeit Components Continue to Slam Electronics Industry
The problem of counterfeiting keeps getting worse. In 2013, the US Customs and Border Protection reported more than 24,300 counterfeit shipment seizures, representing more than $1.7 billion in goods. Over the last five years, counterfeit seizures have increased nearly 50%.
Power management company Eaton has launched a program to raise awareness of ways industry professionals can protect themselves against counterfeit electrical products. The “I Didn’t Know” educational campaign includes a website devoted to helping buyers identify and report counterfeit parts. The campaign intends to reach professionals in the electrical and electronics industry and is part of the company’s ongoing effort to combat counterfeit components worldwide.
Lear MoreProposed Tobacco Tax Increase Will Simply Encourage More Smuggling
State legislatures across the country have piled on the tobacco taxes over the past decade. Not surprisingly, this has created a growing problem of tobacco smuggling. As the tax rate rises, it encourages people to buy products from low-tax states and sell them illegally in high-tax states.
New York is the most obvious example of this problem. The Empire State has a tax rate of $4.35/pack, far higher than most other states. As a result, an estimated 57% of all cigarettes sold in New York are brought in by smugglers.
http://oregoncatalyst.com/30079-proposed-tobacco-tax-increase-simply-encourage-smuggling.html
Lear MoreCigarette smuggling report calls for stronger enforcement, harsher penalties
Massachusetts should increase spending on law enforcement and establish harsher penalties to cut down on illegal cigarette sales, according to a new report by Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
A state commission convened in 2013 to study ways to cut down on tobacco smuggling released its final report on Sunday. It did not recommend reducing the state’s cigarette tax, which is the second-highest in the nation, but suggested the state could save money by giving law enforcement agencies more money and threaten smugglers and retailers with harsher penalties.
Top tips that can help you spot fake products
Delegates from French companies, including Louis Vuitton and Lacoste, on how to spot fakes
Lacoste’s signature crocodile should always have its mouth agape to the right and every authentic Louis Vuitton product is packaged in dark brown. These were some of the key revelations to help identify the counterfeit from the original that were highlighted by representatives from a number of French companies, who gathered in Ajman’s Chamber of Commerce in an anti-counterfeiting awareness and training seminar.
Lear More