As India emerges from a public health crisis, the serious issues of illegal products need to be addressed on a war footing. COVID-19-induced mobility restrictions gave an impetus to illicit trade of essentials and non-essential items. As a result, the alcohol and tobacco trade invariably hung in an uncomfortable situation. According to a market research report by Euromonitor research and TII (2019), India has become the fourth-largest and fastest-growing illegal cigarette cap

The country’s pandemic policy offers a case study in the effects of prohibition As the taverns and drinking spots filled up with revellers in Xhora Mouth, deep in South Africa’s rural Eastern Cape, Lynne Wilkinson worried that the crowds celebrating Christmas would bring a new wave of coronavirus infection to an isolated region with few hospitals and clinics. Bulungula Incubator, a charity where Wilkinson is acting director, had worked with villagers to manage the risk of big

With only a limited number of product inspections carried out inside free zones, many customs administrations now require that tobacco products carry a special declaration with detailed information that would enable joint investigations, effective risk management and electronic recordkeeping, as highlighted in a report published by the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The report, Examples of current practices on the implementation of

Hundreds arrested in crackdown on terrorist routes in Southeast Asia - More than 130 human trafficking victims rescued in Operation Maharlika III SINGAPORE: An INTERPOL-led operation codenamed ‘Maharlika III’ saw law enforcement from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP) deploy to strategic points along known terrorist transit routes in Southeast Asia in a series of simultaneous law enforcement and border control actions. The coordinated move – from 24 Februa

Hong Kong customs has uncovered HK$85 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in the largest seizure of its kind in two decades, after authorities acted on intelligence indicating a syndicate was shipping the haul into the city in four containers. Some 31 million cigarettes were stashed in the containers from Yokohama in Japan. They were then shipped through different ports in South Korea, Vietnam and mainland China, according to Lee Hoi-man, deputy head of the Revenue and Gener

Delighted to welcome Michael Yu, North Asia Brand Protection Head, UNILEVER, Min Gao, GCA Managing Attorney, 3M, Ray Xu, Vice President Legal, PERNOD RICARD, and Roman Quaedvlieg, Former Commissioner, AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE as part of the leaders discussion: ‘Fostering productive collaboration among all stakeholders – government agencies, IP rights holders, law enforcement, industry associations, free zones, online marketplaces & international organizations to help remove da

Welcome back to the new year and a new decade for The 4th GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference + GTDW Trade Facilitation, Compliance & Digitalisation Conference & Exhibition our biggest edition to date returns to Shanghai Pudong, China from 16-18 June, presented in English & Mandarin as part of the 19th Edition of Global Trade Development Week. Theme: Digitalization, Standardization & Interoperability of Technologies. 800 International delegates, 80 Spea

Fighting The Forgeries - A fascinating film by France 24 covering some of the key topics being covered at the 4th GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference, 16-18 June, Shanghai. Last year, more than five million counterfeit goods were seized by the authorities in France. Theft of intellectual property isn’t just a French problem. But after US products, French goods are the most faked products in the world. Among the things most typically copied are luxury pr

Six million cigarettes and enough tobacco to produce 21 million cigarettes found in an illegal factory in Budapest. Hungarian customs officers arrested 20 factory employees and the ringleaders behind the operation. The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration (NTCA, Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal) have uncovered an illegal tobacco factory and identified the members of the criminal group behind the operation. The cigarette factory operated in a large rented warehouse in B

Asia's leading event for brand owners, governments, enforcement, technologies & innovation returns to #shanghai #china 16-18 June - With 78% space sold we have limited exhibition spaces! VIP FREE ACCESS (Final Limited Places!) - Customs & Tax Administrations - Ministries Trade/Finance/Economy - TFA Committees - Heads Customs, Compliance, Tax - Heads Brand Protection, IPR & Enforcement Professionals Email: globaltrade@kwconfex.com for official VIP registration Programme: http:

2 for 1 Finishes Tonight - 4th GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Exhibition & Conference, Part of GTDW China Trade Development Week, 16-18 June, Shanghai. With over 70% of our speakers confirmed and 78% of stands already sold across the main exhibition, we are on track for our largest edition to date with 40 exhibitors and on track for 800 senior attendees across governments and the private sector to assure safety, security, compliance & interoperability across