Showroom shut over fake goods
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has shut down an electrical goods showroom in the Industrial Area for a month for displaying and selling counterfeit products as authentic.
The product was being sold under the name of a reputed international brand, the ministry said yesterday. Several other fake products were also detected during surprise raids conducted by the Consumer Protection Department at the company’s store.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/qatar/320421/showroom-shut-over-fake-goods
Lear MoreCounterfeit ‘Japanese steel’ rampant in China
There have been more than 100 cases in which steel materials falsely designated as Japanese-made have been marketed in China or elsewhere, according to investigations by major Japanese steel manufacturers.
The latest findings show that counterfeits sold as Japanese products are rife not only in the automobile and electrical appliances markets, but in the sale of steel and other raw materials. Domestic steelmakers will redouble their efforts to prevent the production and sale of products falsely labeled as Japanese-made, company officials said.
Fake university uses Apple Store pics to lure unsuspecting students
Move over Xiaomi! While it’s easy to claim that China’s biggest smartphone upstart holds the crown for boldest Apple ripoff artist, Xiaomi has nothing on the Suwen University of Hong Kong.
If you haven’t heard of Suwen University, don’t worry: You’re not alone. It’s a fake, selling false diplomas and bachelor’s degrees online through China’s largest shopping website, the Alibaba-owned Taobao.
Turkey ranks behind China in production of counterfeit goods
Turkey ranks behind China for its production and market of counterfeit goods, the Turkish news agency Cihan reported on Thursday.The total volume of these goods in the Turkish market is worth 10.8 billion dollars, making it the second largest in the world after China.According to a report by the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), the 10.8 billion dollars does not include smuggled fuel and tobacco products. If that number is calculated in, the number reaches above 20 billion dollars.
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How to Avoid Buying Fake Herbal Supplements
Some popular herbal supplements sold at chain retailers don’t contain the herb they tout and contain other substances not labeled, according to DNA testing commissioned by New York State’s attorney general. A.G. Eric Schneiderman has sent “cease & desist” letters to four major retailers – GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreens – ordering them to stop selling certain popular products, including Echinacea, Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and others until they could “provide detailed information relating to the production, processing and testing of herbal supplements sold at their stores, as well as set forth a thorough explanation of quality control measures in place,” a statement said.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-avoid-buying-fake-herbal-supplements.html#ixzz3RKcTAD4l
Lear MoreNo ‘restricted areas’ in combating smuggling: Deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that there are no ‘restricted areas’ in preventing and combating smuggling when he urged the authorities of the northern province of Quang Ninh to step up their fight against illicit trade.
Deputy PM Phuc, who is also the head of the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities, made the emphasis while he was speaking to local officials during his overseeing trip to border gates and border guard stations in the province on Tuesday.
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Customs raids target €145m cigarette manufacturing ring
A cross-Border raid on properties connected to an organised smuggling outfit has resulted in the seizure of a tobacco processing plant, millions of cigarettes and a sizeable quantity of cash.
The raid on the estimated €145 million operation was carried out on Tuesday morning and was jointly conducted by the Revenue’s Customs Service and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, with the support of gardaí and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
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Turkey 2nd in world for counterfeit product volume, report
The total volume of counterfeit or pirated products in the Turkish market is worth 10.8 billion US dollars, making it the second largest in the world after China, the Cihan news agency reported. A recent survey published by the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (Bascap), an initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce, has indicated that the aforementioned number does not include smuggled fuel and tobacco products, which have a total market value of approximately USD 10 billion. Therefore, Cihan noted, the total figure for all fake and smuggled goods stands above USD 20 billion.
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Increases in tobacco tax opposed by businesses
Retailers and distributors urged state lawmakers Tuesday to snuff out a bill that would raise North Dakota’s tobacco taxes for the first time in 22 years, warning it could have a “devastating” impact on businesses, spur cigarette smuggling and unfairly burden smokers who can least afford it.
Backers of the $1.10-per-pack increase in House Bill 1421 said it will put North Dakota on par with the national average, save millions in avoided health care costs, prevent young people from starting smoking and give adults the incentive they need to quit.
2m cigarettes seized in Northern Ireland raids
Around 2m cigarettes have been seized in a raid on a tobacco processing plant in Northern Ireland.
Customs officers and police arrested five people in an operation targeting a smuggling racket that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs suspects may be worth around £110m. The Police Service of Northern Ireland and HMRC said 12 tonnes of raw tobacco and £50,000 were also found during the operation.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/04/cigarettes-seized-northern-ireland-raids
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