Hong Kong Customs officers are continuing their crackdown on the sale of fake goods at the city’s main exhibition centre.
Officers conducted an operation on Monday to shut down an exhibition booth selling suspected fake jewellery at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). A batch of jewellery bearing suspected false trade descriptions was seized, including 59 pairs of earrings and 29 necklaces valued at about $56,000.
Customs had earlier received information concerning the display of suspected fake jewellery for order at an exhibition booth of a jewellery fair held at the HKCEC. After initial investigation, Customs seized a batch of jewellery bearing suspected false trade descriptions displayed as samples at the booth. The 29-year-old woman in charge of the booth was arrested and investigation is ongoing.
The arrest followed similar action at the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair about 10 days ago, when counterfeit timepiece parts were seized.
A Customs spokesman said the authority would continue to take “stringent enforcement actions” to combat infringing activities and appealed to booth exhibitors to respect intellectual property rights and not to sell infringing goods or goods to which a false trade description was applied.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is an offence to supply or possess for sale any goods with false trade descriptions. Upon conviction, offenders shall be liable to a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $500,000.