Belgium seizes tens of millions of counterfeit cigarettes
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s customs officers arrested 40 people Wednesday and seized tens of millions of counterfeit cigarettes in raids targeting illegal production sites across the country.
Belgium’s finance ministry described the operation as the biggest in the history of the customs service.
The ministry could not provide an estimated value of the merchandise seized since a final inventory has yet to be done.
In addition to the cigarettes falsely branded as Marlboro, Richmond, Prince and Regina, customs officers also discovered tons of tobacco, cigarette filters, empty packs and glue. The operation targeted 10 different production sites.
According to Belgian authorities, illegal production of manufactured tobacco has been growing in the European Union in recent years.
Last month, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) supported Spanish and Portuguese authorities in dismantling an international criminal network specialized in the illicit production and sale of cigarettes. A total of 125 searches were carried out in Spain and Portugal during Operation Alecrín, with 29 arrests and over 2 million euros in cash seized.
https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-belgium-3858b765afae5d9df009988b5b020a8b
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Factory making counterfeit Surf Excel detergent powder busted in Delhi, 1 held
A factory manufacturing and selling counterfeit Surf Excel washing powder was busted in Narela and one person was arrested, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Mukesh Garg (43), was previously involved in several other criminal cases.
The police said 3,247 kg of washing powder was seized from the factory.
A probe into the matter was launched when Rajesh Kumar, representing Assiduous Consulting India Limited, filed a complaint regarding manufacturing of counterfeit Surf Excel washing powder.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Rajiv Ranjan Singh said on Monday, a team conducted a raid in the factory in Kureni village here.
During interrogation, Garg told the police that he had been in the business of piracy for a long time and also had a shop in the grain market in Narela. He was involved in black marketing of grains.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/factory-making-counterfeit-surf-excel-detergent-powder-busted-in-delhi-1-held-292396
Biggest Pesticide Raid in Delhi: Police Seizes Spurious Branded Products
A special Delhi Police team raided the premises of a spurious pesticide manufacturer located in the village of Hirankudna in Najafgarh of Thana Mundka, New Delhi on July 30. The police discovered large amounts of duplicate and illegal pesticides that were produced under the brand names of famous multinational and national pesticide companies.
The spurious products seized in the raid displayed logos of renowned companies like Bayer, UPL, Dhanuka, Shriram, FMC, Crystal, Syngenta, Adama, and PI.
Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) has demanded a probe into this matter urgently, saying that such illicit activities must be checked in the interest of the farmers and the consumers.
According to ACFI statement, “A detailed complaint and FIR are yet to be filed by the legal authorities. We vehemently demand from the current regulators and authorities at higher levels to enquire and investigate into it.”
Lear More1.50 tonnes of tobacco products seized, 5 held
Police have seized 1.50 tonnes of banned tobacco products at Puliyangudi in the district and arrested five persons.
The police said surveillance in and around Puliyangudi was intensified on Sunday night following information about smuggling of banned tobacco products. When a police team noticed a lorry parked in front of a house in Moolikulam near Puliyangudi around midnight, it started monitoring the vehicle from a distance.
As the lorry driver and a few others started unloading bags from the vehicle and stocking them in the house, the police surrounded them. While the lorry driver was identified as Nataraj, 45, from Salem, the person who had taken on lease the house was Sengan, 50, of Moolikulam. Others were Muthukumar, 32, and Durai, 42, from Kadayanallur, who had come there to buy the tobacco products, and lorry cleaner Govindaraj, 22, of Salem.
During interrogation, the police came to know that Sengan, the mastermind behind this illegal lucrative business, had taken on lease the house to stock it and was running this illegal business for the past several years to make huge money. He had brought it from Salem to be stocked at his village of Moolikulam and sell it to his customers from various parts of Tenkasi district.
Lear MoreFake currency worth ₹7.50 lakh seized, 9 held
The Bihar police has seized ₹7.50 lakh in fake currency notes of denomination ₹100 from Muzaffarpur and East Champaran districts, officials said on Monday, adding that nine persons, including a woman, were held in this connection.
The Muzaffarpur police late on Sunday night intercepted a car on National Highway-28 at Ratanpura under Motipur police station area following a tip-off and recovered Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with face value of ₹1 lakh from a gang’s kingpin and his wife, said Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jayan Kant.
Police also took the driver into custody for further interrogation.
During investigation, police found that paper used for printing the fake notes was brought from Nepal, while the printing process was done at a house located in Sitamarhi’s Mezarganj, the SSP said .
“A police team raided Ratanpura following information that a deal in FICN is likely to take place. The three accused were found in possession of ₹1 lakh FICN of denomination ₹200,” said the SSP, adding that following their arrest police raided East Champaran and caught six more persons and recovered ₹6.5 lakh FICN.
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Illicit alcohol worth Rs 3 lakh seized in Indore
INDORE: Continuing crackdown against bootleggers, the Indore excise department on Saturday carried out inspections at four places and seized illicit liquor in large quantities worth around Rs3 lakh.
A day after the excise department arrested one Hemant Sharma and seized illicit liquor, including country-made and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth around Rs7 lakh from his residence, the accused revealed involvement of other persons in the crime.
“Acting on Sharma’s information, the team raided at one Sunil Notwani’s house situated in Sindhi Colony and seized as many as 12 bottles of different liquor brands,” said assistant excise commissioner Raj Narayan Soni, adding that while a search for Sunil was on, the team has arrested his brother Shiv Notwani and interrogating him.
Later, the team raided the residence of Suresh Keswani in Sindhi Colony and seized 23.25 litres of foreign liquor of different brands, while in the search carried out at the residences of Jiya Pariyani and Nitin Kadra, the team seized around a dozen bottles of foreign brands.
Lear MoreTale of Fake Hewlett-Packard Gear Spurs Arrest in China, Lawsuit
When three Chinese nationals were jailed in Beijing almost a decade ago and accused of selling fake Hewlett-Packard Co. networking gear, it looked like an example of U.S. companies getting what they’d long demanded: aggressive protection of intellectual property in the world’s most populous nation.
A drawn-out court case heading to trial in Massachusetts paints a much muddier picture. The three, exonerated in China, accuse the former Silicon Valley icon of setting them up. They argue that it was H-P units that conspired to sell counterfeit gear, and then pinned the blame on them.
H-P disputes the claims, and is asking a U.S. federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the story was concocted by Integrated Communications & Technologies Inc., the Massachusetts-based company that employed the three Chinese nationals, to cover up its own criminal behavior. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin may rule on the dismissal request at any time. If he lets the case continue, a trial is scheduled for February.
Lear More35-yr-old man involved in illegal manufacturing of spurious pesticides held
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has arrested a 35-year-old man allegedly involved in illegal manufacturing, storing and selling of spurious pesticides in the national Capital. The accused has been identified as Atul Singhal, a resident of Rohini.
According to R K Singh, the Additional Commissioner of Police, EOW, a complaint was filed by the authorized representative of UPL Limited – the manufacturer of agro-chemicals in India, including Quickphos.
“The complainant alleged that the accused was manufacturing, stocking and selling counterfeit product fumigant-insecticide aluminium phosphide under the brand name ‘Quickphos’ in Delhi. Aluminium phosphide has been banned for sale in India since 2001,” said the Additional CP.
“Singhal used to package and stock up counterfeit fumigant-insecticide aluminium phosphide under the brand name ‘QuickPhos’ – the brand name of the complainant company in violation of its copyrights and trade mark rights. He has been involved in such illegal activities for the last three years,” said the additional CP.
Lear MoreCustoms seizes P2.3-B in fake goods in Valenzuela
SOME P2.3 billion worth of counterfeit luxury-brand items and used clothings or “ukay-ukay” were seized by Bureau of Customs-Manila International Container Port (BOC-MICP) intelligence authorities from a warehouse in Valenzuela City.
The operation is part of the intensified anti-smuggling campaign directive of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
2 nabbed with illicit liquor
The Koom Kalan police have arrested two liquor smugglers and recovered 72 bottles of illicit liquor. The accused have been identified as Baljit Singh and Shashi Kumar, both residents of Sahnewal.
Koom Kalan SHO Harshpal Singh, said a tip-off was received that the duo were on the way to deliver a consignment of illicit liquor. Accordingly, a police party, led by ASI Kamaljit Singh, laid a naka. The police intercepted a Hyundai Santro car and during the search of the vehicle, the illicit liquor was seized.
The SHO said a case under the Excise Act had been registered a gainst the accused.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/2-nabbed-with-illicit-liquor-286147
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