Hong Kong Customs announced on Monday that a syndicate in Central suspected of supplying and selling counterfeit goods was smashed on Jan. 10, with suspected fake goods valued at about 480,000 HK dollars (about 61,935 U.S. dollars) seized.

Hong Kong Customs cracked down on a storehouse keeping suspected counterfeit goods and raided a mobile hawker stall operated by the syndicate on Sunday when conducting a strike-and-search operation in Central.

A total of about 9,400 items of suspected counterfeit apparel valued at about 480,000 HK dollars were seized. Three men, aged between 30 and 65, were arrested. The case is still under investigation, according to Hong Kong Customs.

Hong Kong Customs' Divisional Commander (Intellectual Property General Investigation) Phoebe Wong said that they will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against counterfeiting activities and step up patrolling and enforcement actions during the Lunar New Year period.

Wong appealed to members of the public to purchase at shops with good reputations, and reminded traders that selling counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.

Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is an offence to sell or possess for sale any goods with any forged trademark. Upon conviction, offenders are liable to a maximum punishment of imprisonment for five years and a fine of 500,000 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar = 7.75 HK dollars)

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