MALACCA: The state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs here has busted a syndicate exporting imitation goods of several brand names via express mail.
State director Mutalib Ibrahim said the syndicate’s modus operandi was by despatching the goods and passing them off as branded items after receiving overseas order by e-mails.
He said this was the first case discovered in the state and the couple, whose particulars had been recorded and later released, were believed to have been operating the business for more than a year.
The couple, he said, were being investigated under false trade description under section 3(1) (b) of the Trade Description Act, where the maximum fine is RM250,000.
Mutalib said orders received by the couple were from European countries, United States and other parts of the world.
“The branded goods, which are actually imitation ones, are packaged and sent to the clients after payments were received,” he said.
Mutalib said the deparment’s enforcement officers, acting on a tip off, raided a condominium in Ujong Pasir and seized 116 imitation items such as handbags and belts bearing brand names of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Mont Blanc, and Burberry on Thursday.
“The face value of the items is estimated to be at RM39,000,” he said.
Also seized were computers, monitors, CPU, notebooks, and empty boxes used as parcels.
