Three are arrested in Malaga
Three Dundalk residents are believed to be among five Irish nationals, a Norwegian and a Spanish lawyer arrested in what is understood to be a major Spanish police operation against tobacco smuggling linked to south Armagh, as well as alleged money laundering.he arrests are understood to include Mountpleasant husband and wife, Donna Maguire and Leonard ‘Bap’ Hardy, who were given prison sentences in Holland and Germany for their parts in IRA attacks in Europe in the late 1980s.
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/three-are-arrested-in-malaga-30883258.html
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iPhone users targeted in fake purse text scam
A text-message spam campaign that flooded mobile phones and irritated perhaps millions of iPhone users last summer reared its ugly head again recently. The messages offer recipients a cheap way to order designer products like handbags and sunglasses. In a curious twist, one researcher says those who “fall” for the spam appear to get what they order. But it’s still a scam — the bags are fakes, of course, sent directly from China. And who knows what really happens to the personal information you give the spammers.
http://www.wkbw.com/news/us-news-world/iphone-users-targeted-in-fake-purse-text-scam
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Alibaba, Microsoft agree to crack down on counterfeit software
Alibaba Group and Microsoft have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance the security of Microsoft’s intellectual property rights on two of Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms, Taobao marketplace and Tmall.com. As part of the MOU, Alibaba will strengthen anti-counterfeit measures on the two sites, such as by removing product lists suspected of offering counterfeit or unlicensed Microsoft products.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/alibaba-microsoft-agree-to-crack-down-on-counterfeit-software/
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Unreleased Apple Inc. (AAPL) Watch Already Finds Chinese Smartwatch Clones At CES 2015
It is sad, but true. Even before the original product could hit the market, clone started doing the rounds. This would not happen to any other company besides the innovating Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). In a shocking display, a near-identical Watch was on display at the CES exposition in Las Vegas.While the exposition at CES proved a center stage for showcasing the innovative products over the years, it also turned out to be a showpiece for Clone products too. All the innovative efforts of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seemed to have been hijacked with a near-look clone Watch that made its way in a Chinese manufacturers’ CES stall.
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Fears that dangerous fake vodka ‘is still out there’ in Derbyshire
THOUSANDS of bottles of dangerous fake vodka are still in circulation, a Derbyshire trading standards official has warned.Hundreds of empty antifreeze containers were found in a secret factory for producing the counterfeit booze, trading standards revealed in December.Equipment for filling bottles and approximately 20,000 empty bottles ready for filling, as well as plastic containers of antifreeze, were also found in the raid in Heanor.
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Hong Kong customs seizes about 2.1m illicit cigarettes, 13 arrested
HONG KONG: Customs officials seized about 2.1 million illicit cigarettes and arrested 13 people in the latest raid on cross-border tobacco smugglers.The seizures, valued at about HK$5.6 million, followed a two-week operation targeting vehicles crossing the border from the mainland. Two cars were seized and five suspected tobacco storage points were smashed.
The tobacco involved would have attracted duties of HK$4.1 million, customs said.
http://customstoday.com.pk/hong-kong-customs-seizes-about-2-1m-illicit-cigarettes-13-arrested/
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How e-retailers such as Flipkart, Amazon are keeping fake products at bay
Stung by instances of rogue sellers on their platform shipping dubious products, online marketplaces are putting in place measures to tighten systems and avoid signing up sellers who can tarnish their brand image. The steps range from physical checks to spending more on analytics to monitor marketplaces. For instance, in the case of Amazon India, internal audits with employees posing as shoppers is a regular feature.
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Killing, not curing: deadly boom in counterfeit medicine in Afghanistan
At the beginning of December Najib’s 10-week-old daughter fell ill, crying with stomach ache late into the night. The next day her chest seemed to hurt, so Najib took her to the doctor, who prescribed paracetamol for the pain, phenobarbital for sedation and the antibiotic cefixime to kill potential bacteria. But over the next few days the baby’s health deteriorated. “She was healthy. We did not expect that this disease would affect her like that,” Najib, 30, said. Years ago, when the family was living in Pakistan, other children in the family with similar ailments had been treated effectively with small doses of paracetamol and antibiotics.
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Tunisia’s smuggling trade poses security risk
At a checkpoint outside Qayrawan, two soldiers inspect a mini-bus transporting locals to Tunis. Looking in the boot, the soldiers pick out a large black Nike bag. Its owner is called, opening it to reveal hundreds of flat caps, and an assortment of tracksuits packaged in plastic sheaths.
The products have reached Tunisia through Ben Gardane, a town located 30km from the Libyan border, having originally reached Libya from China and Turkey.
Lear MoreHoneywell reveals 71% of U.A.E. residents are fearful of the dangers of counterfeit refrigerants used in their homes
A survey released today by Honeywell (NYSE: HON) found that residents of the United Arab Emirates are concerned about potentially dangerous counterfeit refrigerants, which are increasingly found in the Middle East. Counterfeit refrigerants are a dangerous, persistent problem around the world. After several containers carrying counterfeit refrigerants exploded in 2012, the United Nations Environment Programme said that counterfeit refrigerants “appear to be a global issue of concern and a wider range of stakeholders are possibly at risk.”
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