Hong Kong authorities have announced a significant seizure of counterfeit goods worth an estimated $20 million (£16 million), just hours before the World Cup is due to begin.
The haul included 230,000 suspected fake items, with a substantial portion comprising jerseys linked to the prestigious football tournament.
Among the seized items were approximately 30,000 football shirts, many of which were so meticulously crafted they were difficult to distinguish from authentic team merchandise, according to Wayne Chung, a senior inspector at Hong Kong’s customs department.
Mr Chung noted on Thursday that most were copies of player-edition jerseys, which typically command a higher price than fan-edition versions due to superior design and material quality.
All the counterfeit goods were bound for international markets, with almost 80 per cent earmarked for shipment to the Americas, where the World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Mexico and South Africa were scheduled to play the tournament opener on Thursday.
The operation, which spanned from late May to early June, targeted logistics centers and also uncovered a variety of other fake items, including footwear, watches, speakers, and handbags.
Goods modeled on luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex were showcased at a news conference. Mr Chung suggested these other items were likely intended to cater to tourist demand in other regions, adding that investigations into the origins of the goods are ongoing.
A truck driver was apprehended at a border checkpoint on a bridge connecting Hong Kong to mainland China and the neighboring casino hub of Macao. Additionally, five individuals were arrested in connection with the online sale of counterfeit jerseys. All have since been released on bail.
Mr Chung warned that anyone found importing, exporting, selling, or possessing counterfeit goods for sale faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of approximately $64,000 upon conviction.
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