Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department has ferreted out the largest ever counterfeit jewelry case and seized counterfeit jewelry with value of about 5.5 million HK dollars (709,677 US dollars).

In raids against 10 locations in Kowloon around noon on Monday, officers from the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau seized 450 pieces of counterfeit jewelry, including rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants from five jewelry shops.

Four men and seven women were arrested. They were on bail pending further investigations.

The officers seized most of the counterfeit jewelry from two shops, in To Kwa Wan and Kowloon Bay, which targeted Mainland tourists.

Investigations showed that in those two shops counterfeit jewelry seized was less than 10 percent of the total goods on sale.

Head of Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau Tam Yiu-keung said on Tuesday that to combat counterfeit goods activities, Customs had all along been maintaining close co-operation with trademark owners in the realm of market surveillance.

He said strategic partnerships had been formed with the industries to heighten their awareness of suspected trademark infringement activities.

He stressed that every effort would be made by the Customs and Excise Department to safeguard Hong Kong's reputation as a shopping paradise for genuine goods.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2005)