Customs arrest 40-year-old for making false description of proprietary medicine

A 40-year-old male staff at a pharmacy was arrested by customs officers for allegedly making a false trade description of proprietary medicine on Thursday afternoon, misleading consumers for profit.

Customs officers disguised as customers expressed interest in buying a well-known brand of medication, the Angong Niuhuang pill. The staff member then showed them a counterfeit product with packaging very similar to the genuine product, falsely claiming it was the Hong Kong version of the original medication. He was arrested on the spot. 

An investigation is ongoing and the arrested man was held for questioning.

Proprietary medicines are those with packaging and names that closely resemble genuine medications, but contents, effectiveness, and overall quality differ significantly from the authentic products.

Customs has strengthened efforts to crack down on pharmacies engaging in unethical practices as the National Day holiday approaches. Unscrupulous pharmacies have been targeting tourists, using deceptive descriptions to mislead them into purchasing proprietary medicine as if they were genuine, a spokesperson for the Customs noted.

A Quick Response Team has been set up to handle urgent complaints from short-term visitors, handling these cases with priority. Customs will increase promotional efforts, distributing leaflets at various tourist hotspots to inform travelers about consumer rights.

Customs urged traders to comply with the requirements of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance and remind customers to purchase products from reputable traders. 

Customers are also reminded to check carefully the total price and unit price of the goods before making payment, and to retain the transaction receipts and related records, which can be used as the basis for follow-up action in case a complaint is lodged in the future.