China cracks down on online counterfeit goods, targets supply networks

Detailed summary

Chinese police have uncovered a series of online counterfeiting operations, ranging from fake perfumes sold in used bottles of genuine luxury fragrances to substandard electrical…

Chinese police have uncovered a series of online counterfeiting operations, ranging from fake perfumes sold in used bottles of genuine luxury fragrances to substandard electrical cables disguised as branded products, the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday.

The ministry released details of 10 representative cases as authorities stepped up efforts to combat counterfeit goods sold through e-commerce platforms, targeting not only online sellers but also the production and distribution networks behind them.

In one case, police in Southwest China's Chongqing city dismantled an operation in March in which suspects allegedly collected empty bottles of genuine branded perfumes, refilled them with counterfeit products and sold them through online shopping platforms.

Police arrested 42 suspects, raided 13 locations and seized more than 15,000 bottles and packages of counterfeit perfumes and other cosmetics. The case involved more than 30 million yuan ($4.5 million), according to the ministry.

Another investigation in Yuxi, Southwest China's Yunnan province, uncovered a network allegedly selling counterfeit and substandard electrical wires and cables.

Police arrested 36 suspects and raided 50 locations in January, seizing 108 metric tons of cables, along with counterfeit labels, compulsory product certification marks and anti-counterfeiting stickers.

Investigators found that the suspects had purchased substandard, unbranded cables, repackaged them as well-known brands without authorization and sold them online. The case involved more than 90 million yuan.

The crackdown also extended to clothing. In July, police in Yongzhou, Hunan province, arrested six suspects and seized more than 3,000 sets of counterfeit branded apparel in a case involving more than 20 million yuan.

Police said the suspects had manufactured or commissioned the production of imitation clothing, trademarks and packaging before selling the products through e-commerce platforms.

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