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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1984
TCIB NOW HAS NEARLY 150 STAFF, AND CAN SET REINFORCEMENT FROM OTHER CUSTOMS UNITS WHEN NECESSARY.
+WE ACT ON OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE AS WELL AS ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY TRADEMARK OWNERS, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND PRIVATE INVESTIGATION AGENCIES, HE SAID.
TCIB SET NEW RECORDS LAST YEAR WHEN IT HANDLED 913 INVESTIGATIONS ON COUNTERFEITS AND SEIZED $21 MILLION WORTH OF GOODS, IN ADDITION, IT BROUGHT 421 CASES TO COURT.
IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ALONE, THE BRANCH MADE 333 SEIZURES VALUED AT ABOUT $14 MILLION, A 54 PER CENT INCREASE IN VALUE TERMS OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
THE SINGLE LARGEST SEIZURE WAS MADE LAST YEAR WHEN MORE THAN SIX CONTAINER-LOADS OF JEANS FROM MACAU, VALUED AT $2.3 MILLION, WERE INTERCEPTED AT VARIOUS CHECKPOINTS.
MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S LEGAL SANCTIONS AGAINST COUNTERFEITING ARE TOUGHER THAN THOSE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
+IN MANY COUNTRIES, PROSECUTIONS AGAINST COUNTERFEITING ARE CIVIL PROCEEDINGS INITIATED BY TRADEMARK OWNERS. IN HONG KONG, HOWEVER, COUNTERFEITING IS A CRIMINAL ACT. ON CONVICTION, OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $500 000 AND IMPRISONMENT OF FIVE YEARS, HE SAID.
OFFICERS OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT ARE EMPOWERED UNDER THE TRADE DESCRIPTION ORDINANCE TO ENTER AND SEARCH PREMISES AND SEIZE ANY ARTICLES BEARING FORGED TRADEMARKS OR FALSE TRADE DESCRIPTION.
+OUR WELL TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED OFFICERS CAN SPOT FAKES ALMOST INSTANTLY. WHERE NECESSARY, WE WORK ROUND THE CLOCK TO TRACK DOWN COUNTERFEITERS.
KAI TAK
+AS A BACKUP, WE HAVE OFFICERS AT LOWU, TAI KOK TSU! AIRPORT AND THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL TO CARRY OUT RANDOM CHECKS ON GOODS,+ MR CHAN SAID.
HIGH ON THE LIST OF SEIZURES ARE FASHIONWARE, WATCHES,
THE SEIZED ITEMS PHARMACEUTICALS. FOODSTUFFS AND COMPUTER WARE. ARE EITHER DESTROYED OR DONATED TO CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS, →
BESIDES WORKING WITH THE POLICE, TCIB MAINTAINS CLOSE LIAISON WITH THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE WATCH INDUSTRY, THE LEGAL PROFESSION, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS AND THE TRADE COMMISSIONS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
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