Cross-border raids target gangsters in £110m cigarettes racket
Twelve tonnes of raw tobacco, two million cigarettes, £50,000 in cash and a tobacco processing plant were seized on this side of the border.
Two highly-trained tobacco and cash detection dogs – Harvey and Meg – helped Irish Revenue officers seize 334,000 ‘Minsk’ and ‘NZ’ brand cigarettes with a retail value of €167,000 (£126,450) in the Republic. Four men and a woman were arrested by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers backed up by the PSNI as they searched nine addresses in Down, Tyrone and Armagh yesterday in one of the biggest clampdowns of its kind seen here.
Chiefs of Police conference at Amway looks at police crashes, counterfeiting, other issues
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Police crashes during emergency responses, product counterfeiting and cutting false-alarm responses are among the topics at this year’s annual police chief’s conference in Grand Rapids.About 400 police chiefs and top police administrators around Michigan are gathering this week at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel for an array of seminars and speakers.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/02/chiefs_of_police_conference_at.html
Lear MoreTurkey 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.
Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma meets Chinese regulator over fight against fake products
The head of China’s commerce regulator met with Alibaba chairman Jack Ma on Friday to discuss combating fake products, the official Xinhua news agency reported, with the two adopting a conciliatory tone after a row over illegal business on the Internet company’s platforms.
The meeting took place the same day the regulator, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), backtracked on an earlier report that had excoriated the Chinese online commerce company for not doing enough to suppress counterfeiting on its websites.
IRA smugglers behind Aussie cigarette racket
Spanish police are seeking to question a Malaysian “businessman” and his wife who were supplying South Armagh Provisionals from South-east Asia.It has also emerged that Provo smugglers have closely examined how new ‘plain packaging’ laws – due to be introduced in Ireland – have boosted the illicit tobacco trade in Australia.
The Malaysian businessman had a base in Spain and was in regular contact with the IRA gang whose tobacco was originating from Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
How To Spot Fake Reviews (& What To Do About Them)
There are a lot of opinions in the land of the World Wide Web. When it comes to doing online business, these opinions can both help and hinder progress. When potential customers turn to online reviews to help them in their buying process, these opinions can make or break your success.
That’s why it’s important to be able to distinguish between real and fake reviews. Furthermore, you need to know your options when it comes to ridding the internet of undeserved hogwash targeted at your business.
http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/150211055-how-identify-fake-reviews.html
Lear MoreHow Philips is using mobile phones to combat counterfeits in Africa
In Africa and other developing regions where informal trade is strong, brands are increasingly facing the challenge of counterfeit products. Worldwide, the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Centre estimates cross-border trade in physical counterfeits alone costs the global economy a staggering US$250bn a year.
One company using mobile phones in an effort to combat this is Netherlands-based technology brand, Philips.
Blitz on illegal tobacco trade
Ten shops in the district were caught selling illegal tobacco products in an undercover sting.
Counterfeit tobacco and smuggled cigarettes were found in a test purchasing operation by cigarette company Japan Tobacco International (JTI). And the shops were found to be selling illicit tobacco products, according to JTI
http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local-news/blitz-on-illegal-tobacco-trade-1-7085089
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Why Harrogate’s MP supports plain packs for cigarettes
Removing the branding from cigarette packaging will remove the attraction of smoking, according to Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones.Mr Jones’ views come as the government plans to bring into force legislation for plain cigarette packaging before the general election, including giving a free vote for MPs.
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Six individuals and two companies accused of smuggling tobacco
Five individuals appeared today at the Montréal courthouse to face charges of conspiracy and smuggling tobacco, while another accused person, Carlos Almeida de Oliveira, is the subject of an arrest warrant. According to the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) investigation, the accused developed and carried out a plan to illegally bring tobacco products into Canada without paying duties and taxes owing under the Customs Act and the Excise Act, 2001.