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| This shop is one of 25 raided by Customs in Mong Kok for selling fake branded goods |
Hong Kong Customs has raided 25 shops in Mong Kok,
as part of intensified effort to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods ahead of the “Golden Week” marking the 75th National Day on Oct. 1.
The operation coincided with calls on travellers,
especially those crossing the border from the Mainland, to stop bringing in raw
meat and poultry products, as this violates Customs regulations.
In the raids in Mong Kok conducted between Sept 20
and 25, a total of 8,500 falsely branded items were seized, with an estimated
market value of about $3.6 million.
The raids on 25 fixed-pitch hawker stalls on Tung
Choi Street and a hidden counterfeit goods storage nearby yielded a batch of items
that included handbags, wallets and headphones.
Two women, aged 35 and 41, were arrested. An
investigation is ongoing;
Customs warns that it will continue to step up its
inspection and enforcement action to combat goods violating copyright
infringements, especially with the approach of the Golden Week.
Consumers are advised to buy goods only at reputable
shops and to check with trademark owners or their agents if they have doubts
about the authenticity of the products being sold.
Sellers are warned that dealing with counterfeit
products is a serious crime under the Trade Description Ordinace, for which the
maximum sentence is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Reports on suspected counterfeiting activities may
be made through 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).
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| Illegal food importation is on the rise, says Customs |
Meanwhile, Customs also repeated a warning against
the importation of prohibited food products into Hong Kong, particularly fresh
meat and eggs, amid a doubling in the
number of people found committing this offence.
According to Jacqueline Lee, deputy head of the
Customs and Excise Department’s land boundary command, the number of illegal
food imports seized in the first eight months of the year reached 1,324, which is more than the total of 1,019 reported
for the entire 2023.
More than 60 percent of the food seized involved
uncooked meat. About 30 percent related to eggs and the remaining 10 percent,
to poultry.
Customs officials said much of the meat smuggled in
were only wrapped in plastic bags, sparking hygiene concerns.
A big number of the tourists caught with the
unlicensed meat had tried to hide them in carry-on bags, but some kept them inside suitcases, luggage carts or backpacks.
Lee said many people might not be aware or might have
been misled into thinking that vacuum packing, foil wrapping, or blanching raw
meat was permissible for bringing food back to Hong Kong.
But this is wrong, she said, because without the
required health permits, uncooked meat cannot be brought into the territory, and
travellers risk being charged with a criminal offence if they violate such
restriction.
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| Most of the raw meat smuggled in are wrapped or vacuum-packed in plastic bags |
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, each
consignment of imported meat and poultry requires an import license from the
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Also, the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs
Regulations state that each consignment must be accompanied by a health
certificate issued by the relevant authority in the place of origin and/or
import permission from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Violators face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and six
months' imprisonment.
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