Police taking steps to cut illicit trade hazardous to public health & safety: DIG Haryana Police

NEW DELHI: Dr Arun Kumar Singh, DIG, Haryana Police Academy on Thursday said that Haryana Police is taking significant steps to curtail the illicit trade, posing serious hazards to public health and safety.

Addressing the 'Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling' organised by FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling & Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE), he stated that lack of awareness in the society is shaping the dynamics of illicit trade. Imparting knowledge and raising awareness on the ill effects of counterfeiting and smuggling can go a long way to tackle it. He emphasised on the need for such programmes, which not only sensitises the officers on the magnitude of the problem but also helps them to understand its intricacies.

Giving an overview on Socio-Economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling, Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi said, "The grey market is fuelling illegitimate industry, leading to increased criminalisation in the society. This capacity building program is aimed to sensitize the police officers on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled products." He further stated that as per the recent FICCI CASCADE study, in FY 2018-19, Indian economy loses Rs 1,17,253 crore due to smuggling in the five key sectors and total livelihood opportunities lost is 16.36 lakhs.

Nitin Saluja, Senior Policy Manager, Customer Trust, Amazon India said, "Amazon is focused in mitigating fraud and abuse on marketplaces that hamper customer trust. We have introduced several initiatives and have put in resources to make its marketplace a reliable and safe platform for customers, brands, and sellers to conduct transactions."

Amazon, he added is committed to promoting and participating in the efforts for ensuring that the consumers are empowered to enjoy the benefits of online shopping while being protected from the risks the digital era may present.

Ashish Sawant, Assistant Manager, Global Brand Protection, APAC Region, Johnson & Johnson stated that counterfeit products have a detrimental impact on both the manufacturers and consumers. It poses severe risk to company's reputation, brand image and negatively affect the consumers' confidence in the global market. It also affects businesses and consumers alike by sowing mistrust in genuine products made by reputable brands, he added.