Thai retailers arrested for counterfeit footwear
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Thai authorities have arrested two men and seized 160,000 pairs of counterfeit footwear from six retail outlets.
The footwear has a market value of about THB20 million (US$601,000), says Department of Special Investigation (DSI) deputy-chief Suriya Singhakamol.
The DSI obtained warrants from the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court to search four locations in Samphanthawong and one in Rat Burana in Bangkok, plus another in Nakhon Pathom province.
Suriya says 160,000 pairs of sneakers and other footwear were found falsely labelled as Adidas, Converse and Nike, as well as other brands.
Two Chinese shop owners, Hongbin Lin and Lin Sow, have been charged with possession of products falsely labelled with registered trademarks, and with smuggling those products into Thailand in breach of trademark and customs laws.
The men had set up companies to import counterfeit products, and traded them around the clock, says Suriya.
The DSI has been talking with retail space owners over the past month, asking for their co-operation in not renting space to traders selling counterfeit products.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific brands of counterfeit footwear were seized by the authorities?
Which specific brands of counterfeit footwear were seized by the authorities?
The seized footwear was falsely labelled as Adidas, Converse, and Nike. The DSI also mentioned that other brands were among the counterfeit items found across the six retail outlets.
Q.Where exactly in Thailand were the counterfeit products discovered and the arrests made?
Where exactly in Thailand were the counterfeit products discovered and the arrests made?
The searches took place at four locations in Samphanthawong and one in Rat Burana, both districts in Bangkok. Another location was in Nakhon Pathom province, where 160,000 pairs of counterfeit footwear were found.
Q.What are the charges faced by the two men arrested in connection with the counterfeit footwear?
What are the charges faced by the two men arrested in connection with the counterfeit footwear?
Hongbin Lin and Lin Sow have been charged with possession of products falsely labelled with registered trademarks. They also face charges for smuggling these products into Thailand, which breaches both trademark and customs laws.