Two dogs in a rucksack, 2,500 fake perfumes
On May 28, Hong Kong Customs stopped a 38-year-old man at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line border crossing and found two live dogs stuffed in his rucksack — market value HK$40,000, no import permits. Two days before, a cyber-patrol tip led officers to a San Po Kong industrial unit where a 36-year-old was running an online shop stocked with roughly 2,500 counterfeit perfumes and skincare products worth HK$1.5 million. Both men were arrested.
1. The backpack that barked
A 38-year-old man arrived at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point — the border crossing that funnels passengers between Hong Kong and Shenzhen's Futian checkpoint — on the morning of May 28. 1 Customs officers stopped him for inspection. Inside his rucksack: two live dogs, estimated market value HK$40,000 (~US$5,100) combined. 1
The man was arrested on the spot. The case was referred to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for follow-up investigation. 1
Hong Kong's Rabies Regulation (Cap. 421A) requires valid import permits for all animals entering the territory. Bringing in an animal without one carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and one year in prison. 1 The press release does not name the dog breed, the man's nationality, or which side of the border he started from.
The official photo shows two small dogs — they look like Chihuahuas or a small mixed breed — sitting on an inspection table. At HK$40,000 for the pair, whoever was moving them clearly expected a tidy profit on the other side.
2. 2,500 fake perfumes in a San Po Kong walk-up
Two days earlier, on May 26, a different unit of Hong Kong Customs was executing a raid in San Po Kong — a nondescript industrial district in Kowloon better known for photo labs and dried goods warehouses than fashion contraband. 2 The target: a flat inside an industrial building, doubling as a storeroom for an online shop.
Officers seized approximately 2,500 items — perfumes and skincare products, all suspected counterfeits — with an estimated market value of HK$1.5 million (~US$192,000). 2 A 36-year-old man was arrested under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) and bailed pending further investigation.
The investigation started with a cyber patrol — Hong Kong Customs runs a big-data risk-assessment system that monitors online shops for Trade Descriptions Ordinance compliance — and deepened after trademark holders confirmed the goods were fake. 2 The press release does not name the brands being counterfeited. A conviction under Cap. 362 for selling or possessing goods with forged trademarks carries up to HK$500,000 in fines and five years in prison. 2 Customs added it is not ruling out further arrests.
Cover image: photo from Hong Kong Customs detects suspected case of illegal importing of animals — HKSAR Government
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