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Sandhills store sold counterfeit Coach, Prada, Kate Spade purses

Dig deep enough into the Kate Spade website, and you’ll pull out a warning about knock-offs:“Authentic Kate Spade products are not sold at ‘purse parties,’ flea markets, by street vendors, in New York’s Chinatown neighborhood or Santee Alley in Los Angeles.”Add to that list: the Classic Coyote in Arnold, population 600.Homeland Security agents this month are on the verge of destroying more than 1,000 purses, wallets, bags, belts, scarves and sunglasses– all of it counterfeit Coach, Burberry, Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Oakley and others.And all of it seized from a storefront boutique on the edge of the Sandhills.“The store appeared to be well known in the surrounding communities, and once we were made aware, we opened the investigation,” said Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The investigation led undercover agents to the Classic Coyote in February 2010. The owner, Deborah A. Pittman, sold them a Coach watch and Kate Spade purse– both later determined to be fakes.Two months later, federal agents returned, seizing more than 1,000 items and 600 counterfeit tags and labels.“The items originated in China, but we weren’t able to locate the supplier,” Neudauer said.And Pittman ended up in federal court, facing a pair of counterfeit-related charges that could have put her in prison for 20 years and saddled her with $4 million in fines.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/sandhills-store-sold-counterfeit-coach-prada-kate-spade-purses/article_beaff7d7-4af6-57f2-a66d-024de1ba79b1.html

After 14-yr slumber, DCGI wakes up to side effects of ‘wonder drug’

Fourteen years after giving it the go ahead, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has finally woken up to the need to check if the anti-depressant “wonder drug” Deanxit was indeed effective and had no adverse health effects.The drug controller has given six months’ notice to the manufacturers and marketing firms of Deanxit (a fixed dose combination (FDC) of Flupenthixol and Melitracen) to prove its efficacy, failing which it will be banned in view of its reported adverse effects on patients in India.It was the DCGI itself which had in 1998 allowed the manufacture and market of the controversial anti-anxiety drugs, even though no mandatory clinical trial has been done on Melitracen – one of its two ingredients — in India.The Pioneer in May 2011 too had reported that the anti-anxiety drug is being frequently prescribed by private doctors in India despite its sale being prohibited in the country, and banned even in the country of its origin Denmark besides all the developed countries. Denmark-based company Lundbeck is marketing and manufacturing the drug in India.The DCGI’s move to ban the drug comes only after the Parliamenary panel on health last year questioned the drug regulator’s decision to allow the sale of the controversial medicine in the market.A recent order issued by the DCGI’s GN Singh said, “In view of the concerns raised on the (safety of the) drugs, it has been decided that the manufacturer of the drug shall be instructed to establish the safety and efficacy of the FDC of Flupenthixol and Mlitracen within six months, failing which the drugs would be considered for being prohibited for manufacture and marketing in the country.” 

While not naming Lundbeck, Singh noted that concerns have also been raised that there must be some very good reasons for the Danish Medicine Agency (Denmark) not to approve a domestically developed drug where an anti-depressants drug would be perhaps in a greater demand than in India.“The drug is not marketed in major developed countries such as UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Japan and Australia,” said the DCGI letter issued recently to all the State drug controllers across the country to take appropriate step in this direction.Curiously, while the drug is being touted as a “wonder drug” by the private psychiatrists who have been prescribing it at the drop of hat for treating anxiety cases, doctors from Government hospitals do not recommend its usage.Dr Chandra Gulati, editor of MIMS India, a well-known drug Journal, said, the DCGI should have banned it long ago but for unknown reasons, it has cleared the combination drugs without mandatory clinical trials in India. “Also, according to rule 30B in the Drugs Act, any drug not approved in the country of origin cannot be used in India. Moreover, its sale is prohibited in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Japan. Then how come it is beneficial for the patients in India,” he argued.

New Jersey Walmart Sells Woman Fake iPad

What’s worse than buying a fake iPad from Walmart? Having the store tell you they’re not going to refund your money for the bogus item. That’s what happened to New Jersey resident Jamie Frick during a recent experience at a local store. After spending $499 on what she thought was an Apple iPad, she realized the object in the box wasn’t what she’d purchased.According toThe Huffington Post, Walmart employees initially refused to refund her money. Frick said it wasn’t until she opened the package that she realized something was wrong. Although she received a cord designed to work with her iPad 3, the ports on the side were from older version of the device. She also noticed the serial number on the gadget didn’t match up with the box. The list of issues continued to grow. She explained toThe Star-Ledger: “When I got home and opened the box, I thought it was a real iPad. I took out the charger and then tried to plug it in the iPad, and that is when I started to notice everything. When I was trying to figure out the problem, I realized there were no electronics in the port to charge it.” Returning the fake iPad toWal-Martproved fruitless; managers told her there was nothing they could do about her problem. Instead of returning her money, they gave her a telephone number to call. When a regional manager failed to address the issue in a timely fashion, Frick took her troubles to small claims court. According toAppAdvice, the ensuing press coverage and the lawsuit got Walmart’s attention in the end. The company eventually refunded Frick the full price of the device as well as a $50 gift card. However, she said she still intends to write a letter to the company about her experience with the fake iPad.

http://www.inquisitr.com/480591/new-jersey-walmart-sells-woman-fake-ipad/

Kalupur trader arrested for selling fake sunglasses

A Kalupur police team arrested a trader for selling fake branded sunglasses ahead of Uttarayan. The trader however alleged extortion by some company officials. After a group of traders made a hue and cry about the arrest, police also filed a complaint against the two officials for demanding money on Thursday night. According to Kalupur police, working on a complaint by officials from an organization keeping an eye on violation of copyrights and intellectual property rights they raided Sunil Traders at Tankshal ni Pol, owned by Anil Dayani on Thursday. About 300 pairs of sunglasses of various brands, which were apparently fake, were seized. Police filed a complaint against Dayani for violation of copyright and for selling fakes as original. However, when Dayani was taken to the police station, about 35 traders from nearby rushed to the station and protested against the action. Senior officials rushed to the spot and spoke to the traders. Dayani told investigators that two officials from the organization – Sanjay Verma and Darshan Parekh – visited his shop earlier and demanded money for not reporting the fakes to the police. When he refused to do so, they had called the police to conduct a raid. Kalupur police officials stated that they have registered cases against both Dayani and the duo. Investigation in the case is underway to verify the claims,” said K D Khambhla, Kalupur police inspector.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-12/ahmedabad/36295608_1_kalupur-police-fake-sunglasses-police-station

High Court upholds packaging norms for curbing export of fake drugs

The Madras High Court has upheld packaging norms introduced by the government in 2011 for curbing the export of counterfeit pharmaceutical products and medical devices. The court agreed with the Centre’s stand that these were necessary to protect the country’s trade reputation. The Directorate-General of Foreign Trade issued notifications in January and June 2011 with regard to primary, secondary and tertiary levels of packaging of pharmaceutical products meant for export to foreign countries. In his order dismissing two petitions, which challenged a notification of June 30 modifying the notification dated January 1, 2011 and sought their quashing, Justice K. Venkataraman agreed with Additional Solicitor-General of India, P. Wilson, that the Centre thought it fit to impose certain conditions on the export of drugs and medicines in furtherance of the country’s trade reputation. Industry contention The Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (SSI) and the Indian Drugs Manufacturers’ Association filed the writ petitions. The confederation, among other things, said that the notification would increase the cost of production. This would have to be thrust upon the foreign buyers, who may, due to higher price, opt out of purchasing Indian products and switch to countries such as China. The confederation members, who were registered small scale industries, would incur heavy loss because of the plant and machinery for the new packing line as per the GSI standard. Mr. Justice Venkataraman said that in the minutes of the meeting of the Commerce Secretary of June 2010 regarding the strategy to contain the campaign against fake drugs, it was notified that a concerted campaign against Indian pharma industry had been launched by MNCs whose interests were getting adversely impacted due to the increasing global presence of Indian pharma companies, especially in the generic segment. It was also been notified that news was appearing in the international press to malign the growing Indian generic drugs by labelling them as fake. It was felt that there could not be any laxity in enforcement as that also harmed the domestic industry’s interest and domestic consumers. The Judge noted that in the counter, it was stated that to protect Indian medicines in the international market and to fulfil the manufacturers’ obligations, the Centre had issued public notice imposing certain conditions. When such was the government’s motto, the court could not sit over the government’s decision. The petitioners had not established that the government’s decision and the public notice were arbitrary or a colourable exercise of power, Mr. Justice Venkataraman said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/high-court-upholds-packaging-norms-for-curbing-export-of-fake-drugs/article4302591.ece

Spurious drug menace unearthed

The sorry state of affairs in the State Health Department came to light on Friday with the detection of preparation and supply of spurious medicines for infants. On receipt of information regarding illegal and unhygienic manufacture of medicines at the industrial unit of Induscreed Pharmaceuticals situated at the Industrial Estate at Lawmali, the Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) carried out an inspection where they discovered the same and found out from an assistant drugs controller, D Swer, that the license which was issued earlier to the company was cancelled in 2003 due to alleged malpractices. There are reports that the company did not adhere to the laid down norms and conditions regarding the manufacture of medicines like Albendazole Suspension (de-worming medicine), Paracetamol (mild analgesic), liver tonic, furazolidone oral suspension (antibiotic used to treat infectious diarrhea) and Povidone Iodine Solution (stable chemical complex of povidone and elemental iodine possessing anti-bacterial activity. It is generally used for determining the skin pre and post operatively for all surgical procedures and for the antiseptic treatment of superficial wounds, burns and injuries). CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing, after carrying out an inspection at the industry site, told reporters on Friday that the officer, D Swer, was under pressure from the Government to revoke the cancellation but he stuck to his duty for the sake of the people.According to Kharshiing, the official confirmed that the medicines manufactured by Induscreed were not as per the prescribed standards after a test was conducted in this regard.“We found out that the medicines are being supplied to government-run hospitals including, Shillong Civil Hospital, Ganesh Das Hospital, PHCs and CHCs in rural areas,” Kharshiing said. Earlier, the Medical Superintendent of Ganesh Das Hospital, in a letter dated October 4, 2012, had asked for a clarification from DHS (MI), on the quality of Albendazole Suspension supplied from the central store of Director of Health Services (MI) procured from Induscreed Pharmaceuticals. According to the Medical Superintendent, as per the IP (Indian Pharmacopoeia), “the standard strength of Albendazole suspension is supposed to be 400mg for 10ml. But the medicine being supplied was found to be having 200mg for 10ml which is far below the standard set by the IP for Albendazole suspension”. The CSWO leader stressed on the severe health hazards that may come about if Induscreed was allowed to supply the illegal and unhygienic medicines to the Health department. “We feel that there can be a connivance of some officials from the Health and Excise departments in facilitating the supply of spurious medicines to kill our children,” Kharshiing alleged. Induscreed Pharmaceuticals has also got the nod from the Excise department to import methyl alcohol for manufacturing chemicals. The CSWO alleged that there is a suspicion regarding the use of methyl alcohol. Citing the CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2009, Kharshiing said that the test check of records revealed that a commercial firm located at Shillong imported 28,000 bulk litres of spirit, 24,000 bulk litres of absolute alcohol and 4,000 bulk litres of methylated spirit in four consignments between April 28, 2006 and May 27, 2008 on which import fee of Rs 1.92 lakh, though realizable, was not realised by the Department although the rules do not permit such exemptions. The CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2010 further stated that during test check of the records in May 2009 it was found that the commercial firm imported 2,667 cases of absolute alcohol between October 2007 and February 2009 for use in manufacture of drugs and medicine. For import of the spirit, two import permits were issued without realization of import pass fee. Since import pass fee is exempted for the purpose of import of denatured spirit only, the grant of exemption was irregular; and resulted in loss of revenue of Rs 2.88 lakh, the CAG observed. However, the CAG did not mention the name of the company in its reports. As per norms, each licensee should have Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to manufacture medicines. The Schedule M of GMP states that each licensee has to evolve appropriate methodology, systems and procedures which will be documented and maintained for inspection and the manufacturing premises will be used exclusively for production of drugs. “Since the medicines are meant to improve the health of all sections of people, we think that the High Court will take a sou moto action regarding the case,” Kharshiing said, adding that CSWO will continue to pursue the matter. Kharshiing also asked the Government to shut down Induscreed immediately. The CSWO also raised concerns on the delay in the appointment for the post of DHS (MI). “The Government is playing with the life of the people especially children and it is unfortunate that the Government did not take into confidence experienced doctors as most of the procurement was made at the whims and fancies of certain officials,” Kharshiing added.

http://www.theshillongtimes.com/2013/01/12/spurious-drug-menace-unearthed/

Feds seize suspected counterfeit sports gear at Meridian Mall

·A team of federal agents made a “significant seizure” of suspected counterfeit sports merchandise and apparel in a raid on the Sportz R Us store in Meridian Mall, a U.S. Customs Enforcement spokesman confirmed Thursday. The agents, accompanied by a uniformed police officer from Meridian Township, executed a search warrant Monday morning, according to witnesses, police and Khaalid Walls, a Detroit-based spokesman for the federal agency that operates within the Department of Homeland Security. No arrests were made, but Walls said sports merchandise and apparel were “boxed and hauled off.” “We’ll review the items we have and confirm whether or not they’re authentic,” Walls said. He said documents from the investigation are under seal in federal court, preventing him from commenting on what led agents to believe the merchandise associated with teams from the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball was manufactured without payment of the licensing fees the leagues collect. He also declined to quantify the amount of merchandise seized or to speculate on its retail value. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” Walls said. “We’re still in the early stages.” Sportz R Us was incorporated by Terry Harrison in 2007, one year before he incorporated Goin Deep Collectibles in Saginaw, according to state business registration records. The Okemos store was open on Tuesday and Wednesday, but at mid-day Thursday, it was closed and a metal drop-down security gate was in place. Phone calls went unanswered during the morning and early afternoon. An employee who identified himself as Joe Oliver was working alone in the store around 5 p.m. He said he opened for business around 3 p.m. and was not expecting Harrison to join him before closing. He said he came to work Monday afternoon to find much of the store’s merchandise was gone but no one told him it had been confiscated. “I’ve just been told maybe we’re moving,” he said. An employee who answered a call at the Saginaw store Thursday afternoon said Harrison was not there either. The square footage of the Okemos store could not be determined Thursday, but the remaining merchandise appeared to consist primarily of collectibles from toys to banners to sports cards and to be sparsely distributed across the available space. Claudia Bleil, marketing director for the mall, declined to comment on the raid.