Customs seizes $64m in fakes, including jerseys targeting World Cup finals

The Customs has seized 110,000 suspected counterfeit and infringing goods, with an estimated market value of HK$64 million, in a recent crackdown on cross-border transshipment and local supply of fake products.

The haul from 37 separate cases included a large quantity of suspected counterfeit football jerseys, which officials believe were being shipped abroad by criminals looking to profit from the upcoming World Cup finals.

During a three-week enforcement operation last month, Customs officers confiscated approximately 10,000 counterfeit jerseys valued at around HK$4 million. 

The items, featuring the emblems and styles of national teams participating in the World Cup, were all destined for countries in the Americas. Customs described the jerseys as being of high quality, suggesting they were produced to meet the huge demand from fans during the major sporting event.

Three individuals—two men and one woman, aged between 25 and 56—were arrested during the operation. One was in charge of a local online shopping group, while the others were a consignee and a trading company director. 

They are all suspected of selling counterfeit goods, including perfumes and cosmetics. All have been released on bail pending further investigation.

Officials also noted a recent shift in the transshipment of counterfeit goods through Hong Kong. Nearly half of the seized items were en route to regions such as South America and Africa, a change from the previous trend where Europe was the primary destination. 

The types of goods have also evolved from lower-value items like clothing, shoes, and handbags to predominantly high-value products like watches, mobile phones, and other electronics.