Hong Kong Customs seized HK$52 million ($6.65 million) worth of counterfeit sporting goods and arrested nine people in an operation held in June amid a series of international sporting events.

Customs officers advised residents to shop at reputable stores and exercise caution when buying online to avoid counterfeit goods.

Over 100 personnel from the Customs conducted investigations across local retail markets and online platforms, as well as cross-border ports and transshipment logistics centers

During the operation running from June 3 to 23, Hong Kong Customs cracked down on 33 suspected intellectual property rights infringement cases, seizing over 68,000 suspected counterfeit sporting goods, including footballs, jerseys, and shoes, according to officers at a Wednesday press conference held.

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These goods seized had a high degree of imitation, Customs officials said, adding that some of the counterfeit jerseys were made with non-breathable materials, making wearers feel stuffy and hot when engaging in physical activity. Some other products lacked laser-printed labels and had coarser, more blurred embroidered patterns compared to genuine products.

The three-week-long operation is the largest one in terms of quantity and value in anti-infringement enforcement actions in 2024. Over 100 personnel from the Customs conducted investigations across local retail markets and online platforms, as well as cross-border ports and transshipment logistics centers.

Using big data and intelligence analysis, Customs targeted over 60 logistics transshipment centers overseas, successfully detecting 27 cross-border transshipment cases. The department also inspected a container arriving from Nansha in Guangdong province at the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun, seizing suspected counterfeit goods.

The department reminded merchants not to sell any suspected fakes, as violators face heavy fines and imprisonment. Logistics operators must comply with trademark regulations, and check with rights holders if they have doubts about goods

Preliminary investigation indicates that these sporting goods were destined to be transshipped to Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.

Since the implementation of the Copyright Ordinance, Customs has been working closely with copyright holders to strengthen patrol and enforcement efforts.

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On June 12, the Customs also conducted a special operation to crack down on using set-top boxes for unauthorized public transmission of the sporting events. They raided six retail stores, seizing 130 suspected illegal streaming devices and related electronics worth around HK$230,000. Four individuals were arrested during the operation.

The department reminded merchants not to sell any suspected fakes, as violators face heavy fines and imprisonment. Logistics operators must comply with trademark regulations, and check with rights holders if they have doubts about goods. Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, individuals involved in trademark infringement can be penalized with fines of up to HK$500,000 and five years in jail.

Regarding digital piracy, Customs warned merchants against unauthorized public transmission of copyrighted works. The public should respect intellectual property and refrain from using potentially malware-infected illicit streaming devices. Violators risk up to four years’ imprisonment and fines of up to HK$50,000 per infringed work.