Hong Kong Customs Seizes HK$159 Million in Counterfeit Goods, Arrests 13 Including Youths
Quick Look
- 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.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Hong Kong Customs conducted an eight-week operation during the World Cup period, detecting 50 infringements related to counterfeit merchandise.
Hong Kong customs officers arrested more than a dozen people and seized counterfeit merchandise worth over HK$159 million (US$20.3 million) during the World Cup period, with authorities warning of a rise in young people seeking to make “quick money” from selling such items.
The Customs and Excise Department said on Monday that it had detected 50 infringements during an eight-week operation from May 26 to Sunday, arresting 13 people and confiscating about 240,000 suspected counterfeit items, including football jerseys, shoes and footballs.
“The involvement of young people in online infringement activities is something that deserves the attention of customs and all sectors of society,” said Ng Ka-chun, commander of customs’ intellectual property technology crime investigation division.
Twelve of those arrested were suspected of selling counterfeit football jerseys online, including four people aged 18 and under.
The number of young people arrested on suspicion of similar online offences rose from one in 2024 to two last year.
The suspects were not believed to be connected, with each offering between one and 40 shirts for sale, Ng said.
Customs was still investigating the sources of the goods.
Open Questions
- What are the sources of the counterfeit goods?
