Customs seize $2m worth of counterfeit cosmetics, arresting five

Customs recently conducted targeted operations on March 11 and 13 in Sheung Shui and Yuen Long, aimed at curbing the sale of counterfeit cosmetics. 

These operations led to the arrest of five individuals and the confiscation of approximately 9,000 items, including suspected counterfeit perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare products, valued at around HK$2 million.

The crackdown followed earlier inspections by customs in various districts, which identified several retail shops in Sheung Shui and Yuen Long selling counterfeit cosmetic goods. 

With the aid of trademark owners, customs officers executed raids on five retail shops, seizing a large batch of counterfeit items.

Among those arrested were one man and four women, aged between 27 and 47, including the person in charge and four employees of the implicated shops. The ongoing investigation may lead to further arrests.

The counterfeit products were notably sophisticated in their packaging and printing, closely imitating genuine items. However, the quality of the actual products varied significantly. For example, seized blushes were packaged and labeled as pink but were orange-red when opened, a stark contrast to their genuine counterparts.

The pricing of these counterfeit items ranged from HK$60 to HK$1,200, representing about 30 percent to 70 percent of the legitimate products' prices. 

This pricing strategy is believed to be a tactic used by merchants to make the counterfeit goods appear more credible and thus lower the vigilance of potential buyers.

Customs officials expressed concern over the direct skin application of these counterfeit cosmetics and skincare products due to potential health risks. 

Samples of the seized goods have been sent to a government laboratory for safety testing, and preliminary results indicated that they did not contain heavy metals exceeding the permissible limits.