Customs Make Record Seizure Of Fake Face Masks

Customs officers said on Tuesday they have made the largest seizure yet of counterfeit face masks.

In an operation last Thursday, officers confiscated 330,000 fake N-95 medical-grade masks in a logistics company in Kwai Chung.

Authorities said the goods have a market value of HK$8.5 million, which put the value of each mask at about HK$25.

Officers said the genuine items were sold at HK$50 each.

They also said the printing on the counterfeit masks is relatively blurry compared with the real goods.

Authorities believe the masks were intended to be transshipped overseas via Hong Kong. And according to their initial investigation, the items had not been sold locally.

It's not immediately clear where the counterfeit masks came from.

No one has been arrested so far.

Since January last year, customs officers have been conducting a territory-wide special operation on personal protective goods, including spot checks on shops that have been selling medical masks and hand sanitizers.

Eighty-eight people have been arrested in the operation and accused of violating the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance or the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.