Shop selling ‘branded’ goods closed after raid

IPOH: Behind the doors of a first floor shophouse in Bidor, a man had for half a year been quietly operating an online business selling “branded” goods. But the good times has come to an end for the lone operator.

The Perak branch of the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry conducted a raid on Friday and seized 792 “branded” items worth RM284,350 from the premises.

The ministry’s state deputy director Mohd Khalis Kasim said bags, belts and shirts of various “expensive labels” were among the stock.

The operator, he said, had been selling the items, which were mostly brought in from Hong Kong through Facebook, and charged RM100 to thousands of ringgit per item.

“We had seen photographs of watches and shoes on the webpage but couldn’t find them at the shop,” he told reporters here yesterday, adding that this was the first such case in the state.

Mohd Khalis said that a room at the premises had been set up for photography to make the items look attractive and “authentic” to potential buyers.

Not the real thing: ?Mohd Khalis? (second from left) with his officers showing the imitation goods.

“The items even came with forged certificates of authenticity. The quality was not good and had defects all over,” he said.

Mohd Khalis said enforcement officers recorded a statement from the operator in his 20s.

“He was not part of any syndicate. He was also looking to employ agents to sell the goods, and asked those interested to pay RM15,000 as deposit,” he said.

Most of his customers were from Malaysia and Singapore, with payments made through online banking, he added.

Mohd Khalis urged consumers to be careful when shopping online.

“Branded good are sold at normal shops and not on the first floor of a shophouse in Bidor,” he said.

On an unrelated matter, Mohd Khalis urged local unlicensed traders not to be fall prey to unscrupulous people offering trading permits.

“Late last month, a 72-year-old trader was asked to pay RM60 for a permit by a man posing as an officer from the ministry in Pasir Puteh.

“The man had gone to the trader’s home to deliver a photostat copy of a letter ‘allowing’ him to trade,” Mohd Khalis said.

The man’s daughter-in-law got uspicious and called up the ministry, and found out that it was not an authorised letter.

Mohd Khalis said officers from the ministry did not operate alone when on the ground.

“It’s usually two persons or more in a group. We also don’t go to anyone’s home to give them permits,” he said. “These are issued at our headquarters.”