Hong Kong Customs officers have seized about 200 suspected counterfeit items at a jewellery fair in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

They swooped on five booths following a tip-off, arresting three men and five women between 21 and 48 years old.

The investigation is ongoing.

Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, possessing or supplying goods with false trade descriptions can incur a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 (US$64,000) and imprisonment for five years.  

It’s not the first time vendors have been caught selling counterfeit jewellery at the city’s trade shows. A woman was arrested and a batch of jewellery bearing suspected false trade descriptions was seized at the HKCEC last September. The haul included 59 pairs of earrings and 29 necklaces valued at about $56,000. Ten days before that more goods were seized at a watch show.