‘Price to blame’ as seizures of illegal cigarettes soar
Customs report major rise in seizures of contraband tobacco
Customs officers have reported major increases in illegal tobacco seizures after confiscating 53m contraband cigarettes and 9,836kg of roll-your-own tobacco worth nearly €30m last year.
The number of cigarettes seized was considerably up on the 40.8m confiscated in 2013. There was also a notable increase in roll-your-own tobacco seizures, which accounted for 4,203kg in 2013.
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Fake organic brands thrive under FSSAI
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been issued a legal notice by the Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI) for issuing the ‘organic’ certificate and logo to companies caught cheating consumers. The federation, in its notice on January 3 , has blamed the food authority for letting “fake, wrongly labelled and misbranded organic products” deceive millions of consumers in India.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/fake-organic-brands-thrive-under-fssai/1/413520.html
Lear MoreLargest Underground Cigarette Factory Dismantled in Spain
SEVILLE, Spain – Spanish security forces on Wednesday dismantled the largest underground cigarette factory in the country in an operation in which 10 people were arrested.The illegal factory, located in the city of Seville, had a production capacity of 65,000 cigarette packs per day.
Police sources explained that authorities confiscated 30 tons of tobacco, in addition to 64,500 cigarette packs ready for sale, following investigations that started last June.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2369458&CategoryId=12396
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Rosselkhoznadzor: Belarus continues smuggling products
Belarus continues bringing sanctioned goods into Russia. Charter97.org learnt it from Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor. “Despite statements by the Belarusian party on the measures taken, the import of seven lots of sanctioned products from Belarus with a total weight of more than 93 tonnes has been banned this year because the products did not meet the veterinary and sanitary requirements of the Customs Union and Russia,” the agency says.
http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/1/16/135471/
Lear MoreAnti-counterfeiting group warns of consumer, economic dangers
Two weeks before the start of Super Bowl XLIX, law-enforcement officials were trying to get the word out on the harmful impact counterfeiting can have on individuals and the local economy.
Representatives from Phoenix and Glendale police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had a media briefing on Friday to inform the public about counterfeit scams and dangers, as well as display an array of recently confiscated counterfeit products.
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Chanel says Houston company selling fake products
Chanel Inc. is suing over claims a Houston company is continuing to sell counterfeit products using Chanel’s trademarks.Chanel Inc. filed a lawsuit Nov. 4 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Hernandez International Inc., doing business as Alex Trading, Leticia Luquez Cordero, David Hernandez and Does 1-10, citing trademark infringement.According to the complaint, in November 2013, Chanel discovered Alex Trading was selling counterfeit products bearing various marks indistinguishable from or confusingly similar to marks owned by Chanel and used to identify Chanel’s high-quality sunglasses, jewelry, scarves, hair accessories, fragrance, cosmetics and other goods.
https://setexasrecord.com/news/301133-chanel-says-houston-company-selling-fake-products
Lear MorePhoenix police brace for more counterfeit NFL goods
Phoenix police have arrested five people for allegedly selling counterfeit NFL merchandise, just two weeks ahead of Super Bowl XLIX. Police say the problem will only get worse before the game on Feb. The latest arrest is Harold Dodds, 37. Police say Dodds tried to sell an undercover detective an NFL jersey for $40 Thursday. Detectives say he admitted the jersey was not genuine.During his initial appearance, Dodds seemed to argue with the judge over why he was there.
Lear MoreNigeria: SON Considers Stiffer Sanctions Against Substandard Goods
Standards Organisation of Nigerian, SON, has said it is considering imposing additional sanctions on importation of substandard goods.
The Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Dr. Joseph Odumodu, who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum on the maritime industry tagged: “Seamless importation: Building stakeholders’ synergy and fostering trade without compromising standards,” said in view of the fact that 90 percent of fake products in the country are imported products, SON is considering imposing stricter penalties on foreign nations exporting substandard goods into Nigeria, adding that these countries do not mean well for the economic development of the nation.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501160079.html
Lear MorePalisades Park man sentenced to time served for role in counterfeit-goods ring
NEWARK – A federal judge showed leniency toward a Bergen County man on Thursday, sentencing him to time served after determining that while he made “a series of bad choices,” he was not a main player in a $325 million counterfeit goods ring.Dao Feng Shi, of Palisades Park, admitted in a plea deal last year to conspiring or attempting to traffic in counterfeit goods. He said ordered Ugg labels and attempted to stick them on about 300 non-brand-name boots to get rid of surplus merchandise from his shoe and accessory business. That act was unrelated to the large counterfeit operation, said his attorney, Lawrence Welle.
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Study: tobacco smuggling now a way of life in high tax states
The MackinacCenter for Public Policy just released its 2013 estimates for cigarette smuggling rates in 47 US states and the results may surprise even the most jaded among you. The study shows the rates of tobacco piracy across the nation as rated against the sin tax rates in each state. The tops spots won’t come as too much of a shock to those who have been following our coverage of this issue, but there are others moving up fast on the list.
http://hotair.com/archives/2015/01/15/study-tobacco-smuggling-now-a-way-of-life-in-high-tax-states/
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