Hong Kong customs has intercepted more than 83,000 counterfeit items worth about HK$36 million (US$4.62 million) as part of a recent crackdown, warning that criminals are using the heightened seasonal demand as a “smokescreen” to move illicit goods to Europe and the Americas.
During the operation, authorities uncovered 28 cases involving a diverse range of fake luxury products meant for “relatively high-spending markets” around the world, customs said.
“Criminals are exploiting the massive year-end logistics peak as a ‘smokescreen’ to move illicit goods, hoping the sheer volume of holiday traffic will help them evade detection,” Senior Investigation Officer Lin Kwan-yiu of the department said.
“In this operation, we detected a total of 28 cases and seized approximately 83,000 items of suspected counterfeit goods, with an estimated market value of about HK$36 million.”
He added that syndicates were increasingly using high-quality counterfeits that mimicked authentic brands.
