Hong Kong Customs today (January 14) arrested two salesmen of a medicine shop suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices involving misleading omission in the course of selling a Chinese herbal medicine, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that staff members of a medicine shop in Mong Kok were suspected to have misled a customer to believe the unit price of a Chinese herbal medicine was calculated per catty. After the Chinese herbal medicine was ground into powder, the staff members revealed that the medicine was priced per mace. The charged price was 160 times higher than what was expected.

     After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers today arrested two salesmen, aged 31 and 33, of the medicine shop concerned.

     An investigation is ongoing and the two arrested men were held for inquiry.

     Customs has all along been concerned about visitors being misled to make purchases by unfair trade practices and has established a Quick Response Team to handle urgent complaints lodged by short-haul visitors. The complaints will be promptly referred to investigators to handle with priority.

     With Lunar New Year approaching, Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat unfair trade practices.

     Customs reminded traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to purchase products from reputable shops. Consumers should also be cautious about the unit price and ask for more information, including the total price of the goods selected, before making a purchase decision.

     Under the TDO, any trader who engages in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides material information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     ​Hong Kong Customs conducted a three-week special enforcement operation from June 13 to yesterday (July 3) to combat counterfeit electronic goods activities involving cross-boundary transshipments and local deliveries. During the operation, Customs detected a total of 17 related cases and seized more than 26 000 items of suspected counterfeit electronic goods, including earphones, mobile phones, electronic watches and mobile phone accessories, with an estimated market value of over $6.8 million. Four men were arrested.

     Through risk management and intelligence analysis, Customs detected 15 related cases at various express couriers and local logistics companies. More than 19 000 items of suspected counterfeit electronic goods with a total estimated market value of over $4.6 million were seized.  

     After follow-up investigations, Customs believed that some of the suspected counterfeit electronic goods would be posted from Hong Kong, while the rest would be re-exported to overseas destinations. Subsequently, Customs officers on June 16 conducted a controlled delivery operation and a 25-year-old male consignor was arrested outside an industrial building in Chai Wan. The arrested person attempted to post a batch of suspected counterfeit earphones via an express courier.  

     Meanwhile, through risk assessment, Customs detected two related cases at the Man Kam To Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Control Point respectively. Customs officers intercepted two incoming trucks on June 13 and 27, and seized a total of about 1 800 items of suspected counterfeit electronic goods with an estimated market value of over $1 million therein. Two male truck drivers, aged 52 and 60, were arrested.

     Follow-up investigations revealed that some of the suspected counterfeit electronic goods would have been sold locally while the rest would have been re-exported to overseas destinations. Customs officers then organised two controlled delivery operations at two industrial building units in Kwun Tong on June 14 and 26 respectively. About 1 400 suspected counterfeit mobile phones and about 3 900 pieces of suspected counterfeit mobile phone accessories with a total estimated market value of over $1.2 million were seized. A 39-year-old male shop owner was arrested.

     Investigations of the above-mentioned cases are ongoing. The four arrested men have been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs appeals to consumers to purchase goods at reputable shops or websites and to check with the trademark owners or authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt to avoid buying counterfeit goods.

     Customs reminds practitioners in the logistics industry to comply with the requirements of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) and to check with the trademark owners or authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt. The department also reminds traders or online sellers not to sell counterfeit goods, and to be cautious and prudent in merchandising since selling counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat different types of counterfeit goods activities.

     Under the TDO, any person who imports or exports, or sells, or possesses for sale, any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. 

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

     ​Hong Kong Customs today (May 17) arrested a male suspected of engaging in wrongly accepting payments on presale coupons of diaper on the Internet, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received reports alleging that a diaper retailer sold presale coupons of diaper through a social media platform but failed to supply the ordered goods within the specified date or a reasonable period after accepting payments from a number of customers for purchasing the presale coupons. Also, no refund was offered.

     After investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 46-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case. He is the person-in-charge of the retailer concerned.

     An investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs has all along been concerned about illegal online sales activities. It has strived to combat unfair trade practices on websites to protect consumers’ interests.

     Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment of five years.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Traders should not accept advance payments from consumers if they are uncertain whether the pertinent goods or services can be delivered to consumers within a specific or reasonable time. Before making prepaid consumption of product, consumers should pay attention to the risk of prepaid consumption and its supply quantity and supply period. Also, they should make orders through reputable traders. After purchasing the products, consumers should keep the transaction receipts and related records, which can become the basic information in case a complaint is lodged in the future.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 11) conducted an enforcement operation to combat the sale of counterfeit wheel rims and seized 42 suspected counterfeit wheel rims with an estimated market value of about $50,000 in a car parts shop.

     Customs earlier received information alleging that suspected counterfeit wheel rims were offered for sale on online platforms. Initial investigation found that a seller had set up a dedicated page on a social media platform to sell suspected counterfeit wheel rims.

     After an in-depth investigation with the assistance of trademark owners, Customs officers yesterday raided a car parts shop in San Tin and seized the batch of suspected counterfeit goods.

     During the operation, a 52-year-old male salesperson and a 34-year-old female salesperson were arrested.

     An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of further arrests has not been excluded.

     Customs appeals to consumers to purchase goods at shops or online shops with a good reputation and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.

     Customs reminds online sellers not to sell counterfeit goods and to be cautious and prudent in merchandising since selling counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     ​Hong Kong Customs today (July 13) mounted an operation in North Point to combat the sale of counterfeit proprietary Chinese medicines and seized six boxes of a suspected counterfeit proprietary Chinese medicine with an estimated market value of about $6,000. One person was arrested.

     Customs earlier received information alleging a dispensary was suspected of selling counterfeit proprietary Chinese medicines. After an in-depth investigation with the assistance of the trademark owner, Customs officers today took enforcement action and raided a dispensary in North Point. The six boxes of the suspected counterfeit proprietary Chinese medicine were seized. 

     During the operation, a 42-year-old male director of the dispensary connected with the case was arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing. 

     Customs appeals to consumers to make purchases at shops with a good reputation and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.

     Customs also reminds traders to be cautious and prudent in merchandising since selling counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).