6 arrested as Hong Kong customs seizes HK$156 million in fake World Cup goods

Hong Kong customs has arrested six people over the alleged smuggling and online sale of counterfeit Fifa World Cup merchandise, with an estimated market value of HK$156 million (US$20 million). The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday it had uncovered 29 suspected smuggling cases and five online sales cases involving World Cup products in an operation code-named “Clean Sheet”. The operation, which ran from May 26 to Wednesday, led to the seizure of around 230,000 suspected counterfeit.