Dogs seize illegal tobacco in Preston
Sniffer dogs helped to discover large amounts of illegal tobacco in raids carried out by Lancashire County Council Trading Standards Service in Preston on Thursday. Over 50 packs of contraband cigarettes, tobacco, and tobacco blunts were seized after eight retail premises were visited by Trading Standards, the Police and two sniffer dogs. The haul included possible counterfeit and non-duty-paid tobacco products which cannot be legally sold in the UK. Eleven bottles labelled as Glen’s vodka were also seized. They are suspected to be counterfeit.
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/dogs-seize-illegal-tobacco-in-preston-1-7107952
Lear MoreOver a quarter of South West cigarettes could be illegal
More than a quarter of cigarettes sold in the South West are either illegal or purchased outside of the UK, a survey has revealed. Researchers have warned the profits made could be ending up in the pockets of organised crime and terrorist groups. The discarded pack collection survey by MSIntelligence found that approximately 27% of the region’s cigarettes are either counterfeits, smuggled or obtained through other methods from outside of the country.
Lear MoreCity of London Police knock 2,000 counterfeit good sites offline
The City of London Police has shut down 2,000 websites selling fake luxury goods since the New Year, as part of its ongoing quest to clampdown on counterfeit product sales. The sites in question were selling knock-off versions of products from popular, high-end fashion brands including Burberry, Longchamp, Oakley and Tiffany. Along with fake products, some of these sites also housed malware and viruses, the City of London Police has warned.
Lear MoreBillion dollar smuggling industry drains Iran’s economy
Habibollah Haghighi, chief of an Iranian task force to combat smuggling, announced that up to $25 billion worth of contraband was smuggled into the country between March 2013 and March 2014. Haghighi’s announcement came during a Jan. 22 meeting in Qom among seminary heads, in which he stated that the “trafficking of contraband goods hindered domestic production and had negative impacts on the economic, health care, medical and cultural sectors.” According to the official, the amount of contraband over the year was double the country’s development budgets.
Lear MoreEngines ‘fake’: NBI
AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)National Capital Region raided and seized 150 “fake” motor engines from a warehouse in Barangay Cabancalan, Mandaue City yesterday morning. The raid at the Weld Industrial Sales warehouse stemmed from the complaint filed by Solanda Enterprises, which is based in Intramuros in Manila. The alleged fake engines are worth about P1.5 million, according to Solanda’s product manager Chris Rubiano. We have been receiving complaints from our customers since last year that the motor engines they bought (from Weld) would easily get damaged,” he said in Tagalog. “Our company’s name is at stake here.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2015/02/13/engines-fake-nbi-391879
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Illinois cigarette smuggling ranks 14th in the nation, study says
Illinois has the 14th highest cigarette smuggling rate in the country. That’s according to a study by the Non-Partisan Tax Foundation. If you’re caught smuggling cigarettes into the state, the Department of Revenue can pursue taxes owed. West Quincy’s A&D Discount Tobacco cashier Stella Stark says Illinoisans buy cigarettes in bulk all the time, but it’s almost impossible to know for sure if they’re bootlegging them.
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Over-regulation of cigarettes threatens rule of law and Good Friday Agreement
As the MP for North Antrim, I am still reeling from the news that 1,000 jobs in my constituency are set to be lost with the closure of the JTI/Gallaher tobacco factory. The devastation that this will cause to the area cannot be overstated. There are some who would see this as the inevitable fallout from the decline in smoking rates, but in truth much of the blame lies with the over-regulation of the tobacco industry, and those who championed it. And it is these same lobby groups that are pressurising the Irish and UK governments to rush ahead with plans to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products which Minister James Reilly has recently stated will be debated in the Dáil on February 17.
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Chamber Calls For Intensive Campaign Against Smuggling
Africa Chamber of Commerce, Mr Foluso Phillips, yesterday in Lagos called on regulatory bodies to beef up their campaign against smuggling. Phillips who made the appeal in an interview with newsmen stressed that the phenomenon was on the rise because the regulatory bodies were not as firm as they should be. So when you talk about fake products, I will turn around and say it behooves on the Customs and NAFDAC to do their work.
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Fake-free China might not be better off
Pseudo-Prada bags, sham Apple stores, even artificial eggs – China’s ability to generatefake versions of familiar items is legendary. Around three-quarters of knock-off goods seized by U.S. and European customs come from the People’s Republic. The government has been talking a good game, including what looks like a new focus on fake goods sold via the country’s biggest e-commerce company, Alibaba. The trouble is that incentives aren’t straightforward. While copying hurts innovation and trust, a counterfeit-free China wouldn’t be good for everyone.
http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/02/11/fake-free-china-might-not-be-better-off/
Lear MoreRevenue officials say cigarette smuggling is growing
Minnesota revenue officials say they need an additional $1 million annually to crack down on cigarette smugglers and retailers selling untaxed tobacco. Authorities say cigarette smuggling has become a growing problem less than two years after Minnesota raised its cigarette tax to one of the highest in the country. The Star Tribune says revenue officials seized or assessed untaxed tobacco products in more than 40 percent of the 374 retail inspections conducted through the first three quarters of 2014.
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