Hong Kong Customs arrested a 42-year-old male financial manager and a 25-year-old female administrative manager of beauty retailer Opatra London on Wednesday night over suspected violations of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
The arrests came after a video circulated online showing a woman kneeling and crying outside the company's Sha Tin branch, alleging she had been pressured into spending about HK$60,000 on products. Customs said it had received six complaints as of Tuesday, involving amounts ranging from HK$1,800 to HK$100,000.
The UK head office of Opatra London issued a statement clarifying that the Hong Kong stores are independently owned and operated by a local company under a distribution agreement. It said the arrested individuals are not direct employees of Opatra London and hold no positions within the company.
The head office added that it has requested a full written explanation from the Hong Kong distributor and has launched an independent review of sales practices. It said it would fully co-operate with Hong Kong authorities.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, aggressive commercial practices carry a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 and five years' imprisonment.
