Hong Kong customs officers arrested 13 people, including four aged 18 and under, and seized over HK$159 million in counterfeit merchandise during an eight-week World Cup operation. Authorities expressed concern over a rise in young people involved in online sales of fake items.
Vietnam is intensifying a nationwide crackdown on intellectual property violations, including counterfeit goods, under pressure from the US. Authorities are increasing busts, but vendors and economists note the challenge of eradicating the deeply entrenched black market, fueled by low incomes and high demand.
Hong Kong customs seized $20 million in counterfeit goods, including 230,000 items like football jerseys, just before the World Cup. Most items were destined for the Americas, with investigations ongoing.
A new £20m National Crime Agency unit will target "dodgy" retail outlets like vape stores and mini-marts suspected of laundering £1bn of criminal money annually. The initiative aims to combat tax fraud, counterfeit goods, and illegal work, with 75 officers recruited for investigations and raids.
Hong Kong authorities uncovered 23 cross-boundary and transshipment counterfeiting cases in a joint operation with mainland China and Macau in April, seizing about 46,000 items worth an estimated HK$16 million (US$2 million). The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday that the operation found that 21 cases involved local express couriers and logistics companies. The remaining two cases involved batches of counterfeit goods discovered on two inbound lorries at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau...
