Anticipating that the sale of counterfeit goods would become more frequent during the Lunar New Year holiday, Hong Kong Customs has stepped up inspections and enforcement starting last week with a view to combating different kinds of counterfeit goods activities in town.
Customs officers conducted special operations in Sham Shui Po and Tai Po yesterday (January 15) and seized about 6 900 items of suspected counterfeit goods, including red packets, toys and stationery with an estimated market value of about $170,000.
Customs earlier conducted inspections in various districts and detected the sale of counterfeit goods at some shops and fixed-pitch hawker stalls in Sham Shui Po and Tai Po. After an in-depth investigation with the assistance of the trademark owners, Customs officers yesterday took enforcement action and raided a number of shops and hawker stalls selling counterfeit goods in the two districts. An upstairs storage centre in Sham Shui Po was also raided, with a batch of suspected counterfeit goods seized.
During the operation, two men and three women, aged between 27 and 56, were arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs reminds consumers to procure goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.
Customs also reminds traders to be cautious and prudent in their merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells, or possesses for sale, any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Under the Copyright Ordinance, the maximum penalty for any person who sells or possesses an infringing copy of a copyright work with a view to selling it is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years upon conviction.
Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, January 16, 2020
