Hong Kong customs authorities arrest six people as part of a crackdown on alleged smuggling and online sales of counterfeit FIFA World Cup merchandise, with an estimated market value of HK$156 million (about US$20 million). Authorities say they uncover 29 suspected smuggling cases and five online sales cases through an operation codenamed “Clean Sheet.” The operation runs from May 26 to Wednesday, ending hours before the World Cup begins. Customs and Excise Department reports that around 230,000 suspected counterfeit items are seized, including player-edition and other World Cup products such as jerseys. Several outlets describe some counterfeit jerseys as being highly detailed and difficult to distinguish from authentic team shirts.
Customs says the goods are intended for overseas markets, with reporting indicating that nearly 80% are to be shipped to the Americas, where the tournament is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The arrested suspects are accused of involvement in the trafficking and sale of the fake goods, and authorities continue follow-up work related to the seized items and associated cases.
