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Two men were arrested by customs in Hong Kong, Macau and China in a three-week operation during which officers seized about 56,000 items of counterfeit goods worth HK$17 million, including fake watches from luxury brands Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe.
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This marks the first joint operation of 2024 for customs from three regions as officers stepped up the inspection of goods destined for North America, Europe and Asia as well as other countries and regions between April 9 and Tuesday (Apr 30).
Through intelligence analysis and in-depth investigations, Hong Kong customs detected 15 cases at various local express couriers and logistics companies.
Officers also found counterfeit goods in two containers arriving from Nansha, Guangdong at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound on April 15 and 16.
Customs further detected two more cases by intercepting two incoming trucks on April 12 and 28 at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized batches of counterfeit goods from the vehicles.
Two male truck drivers, aged 49 and 55, were subsequently arrested. The two arrestees have been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs said investigations are ongoing and they may make more arrests.
The counterfeit goods seized by Hong Kong customs in the operation included luxury handbags, smart phones and accessories, luxury wristwatches and sneakers. The total estimated market value was about HK$16.9 million.
In order to boost their revenues, criminals also used high-quality chests for the counterfeit luxury wristwatches, accompanied with fake certificates, warranty cards and user manuals, customs said.
Customs warned that under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is an offense to import or export any goods applied with a forged trademark. The maximum penalty upon conviction carries a HK$500,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment.
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