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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1989
$100,000 WORTH OF GARMENTS BEARING FALSE ORIGIN LABELS SEIZED
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CUSTOMS OFFICERS HAVE SEIZED CHINA-MANUFACTURED GARMENTS WORTH $100,000 BEARING FALSE ORIGIN LABELS IN THEIR CRACKDOWN ON FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE ORIGIN OF TEXTILE EXPORTS.
ON OCTOBER 9, A TEAM OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS ENGAGED IN EXAMINING CARGO IMPORTED BY SMALL TRADING VESSELS INTERCEPTED AND SEIZED 2,580 PAIRS OF COTTON WOVEN SHORTS WHEN THE GOODS WERE BEING OFF-LOADED FROM AN INCOMING CHINESE TRADING VESSEL AT THE WAN CHAI CARGO HANDLING BASIN ON ARRIVAL FROM CHINA.
THE SHORTS CARRIED A WELL KNOWN TRADEMARK AND FALSE "MADE IN HONG KONG" LABELS WITH AN INDICATION THAT THE GOODS WERE FOR SALE IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE PRINCIPAL TRADE CONTROLS OFFICER OF THE CUSTOMS TRADE INVESTIGATION BUREAU, MR Y.Y. LEUNG, SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE SEIZURE, INVESTIGATORS FROM THE TRADE CONTROLS BRANCH OF THE CUSTOMS AND FXCISE DEPARTMENT SEARCHED THE PREMISES OF AN IMPORTER AND FOUND CLUES THAT LED THE OFFICERS TO A LOCAL GARMENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY WHICH HAD CONTRACTED WITH THE IMPORTER TO HAVE THE GOODS IN CHINA.
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IN THE GARMENT COMPANY'S PREMISES LOCATED AT CHEUNG SHA WAN, KOWLOON, THE OFFICERS SEIZED ANOTHER 1,404 PAIRS OF SHORTS BEARING SIMILAR OFFENDING LABELS.
INQUIRIES REVEALED THAT THE COMPANY HAD IN JULY THIS YEAR DESPATCHED TO THE UNITED STATES FOUR SHIPMENTS TOTALLING 3,555 PIECES OF CHINESE ORIGIN COTTON WOVEN PANTS AND SKIRTS WITH A TOTAL EXPORT VALUE OF $220,000. THE GOODS WERE WRONGLY DESCRIBED AS OF HONG KONG ORIGIN ON EXPORT UNDER HONG KONG QUOTA LICENCES,
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MR LEUNG SAID ROTH THE IMPORTER AND THE GARMENT COMPANY WOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR FALSE ORIGIN LABELLING AND FALSELY REPRESENTING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IN APPLICATIONS FOR EXPORTS LICENCES UNDER TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE AND THE IMPORT AND EXPORT ORDINANCE.
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QUOTA UNDER
"THIS 15 ONLY ONE EXAMPLE OF OUR STEPPED-UP EFFORTS SAFEGUARD THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE TEXTILES CONTROL SYSTEM AND TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S OBLIGATIONS BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENTS ARE FULFILLED.
CONTROL
"TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT OF THE TEXTILES QUOTA SYSTEM, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT HAR EXTENDED ITS REWARD SYSTEM ΤΟ THOSE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE ORIGIN OF TEXTILES SINCE OCTOBER 1.
"UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENT, A REWARD, EQUIVALENT TO 10 PER CENT OF THE COURT FINE AND SUBJECT TO A MAXIMUM OF $10,000 IN EACH CASE, WILL BE GIVEN TO PERSONS PROVIDING INFORMATION LEADING TO THE PROSECUTION AND CONVICTION OF OFFENDERS, MR LEUNG.
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