In January 2026, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department announced the results of a major enforcement operation against cross-boundary trafficking in counterfeit goods, conducted in close collaboration with customs authorities in Mainland China and Macao. The operation targeted the illegal transshipment of fake luxury and consumer products destined for overseas markets and resulted in the detection of 14 cases and the seizure of approximately 19,000 suspected counterfeit items with an estimated market value of around HK$14 million. Official details of the operation were published on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Portal on 16 January 2026.
The counterfeit goods intercepted included a wide range of products, most notably handbags, footwear and electronic accessories. Intelligence-driven inspections at local express couriers and logistics facilities formed a key part of the operation, accounting for the majority of detections. A further interception at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port led to the arrest of a 54-year-old male driver in connection with one of the cases.
According to the official Hong Kong Customs announcement, the seized consignments were bound for international destinations spanning the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Department emphasized its commitment to strengthening cooperation with Mainland and Macao customs agencies, as well as overseas law enforcement partners, through intelligence sharing and joint enforcement activities against the manufacture, transshipment and export of counterfeit goods.
Under Hong Kong’s Trade Descriptions Ordinance, importing or exporting counterfeit goods is a criminal offence, punishable by fines of up to HK$500,000 and imprisonment for up to five years upon conviction. Hong Kong Customs reiterated its resolve to disrupt illicit supply chains and protect legitimate businesses and consumers from the social and economic harms associated with counterfeit trade.
Please read the following official announcement on this enforcement action: