Hong Kong customs officials have seized 2,800kg of counterfeit Thai jasmine rice packed under a top-class trademark name and arrested three suspects during a raid on a warehouse in Yuen Long district.
The Commerce Ministry’s office of International Trade Promotion in Hong Kong reported that the officials seized 112 bags of the counterfeit Golden Phoenix jasmine rice each weighing 25kg, Manager Online reported on Sunday, quoting a source at the ministry.
The suspects allegedly confessed they had packed and sold more than 1,600 bags of counterfeit jasmine rice, or about 40 tonnes, with a value of 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (2.11 million baht). To attract buyers, the gang sold their rice at a lower price than that sold in supermarkets.
Genuine Thai jasmine rice sold under the Golden Phoenix trademark was priced at HK$360 (1,521 baht) a bag, while the rice bearing the forged trademark, which had a sticker price of HK$310, was sold for HK$160.
The suspects said they used a truck to sell the fake rice at several communities at night and told people that they could charge a low price because they bypassed supermarkets and did not need to pay extra charges. They also provided a free delivery service.
The international trade promotion office said it would work closely with Thai customs officials based in Hong Kong and Hong Kong officials to monitor gangs selling counterfeit Thai rice. It will also intensify a public relations campaign to promote Thai jasmine rice and give tips on how to judge genuine jasmine rice, Manager Online reported.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradee Tantraporn said the ministry planned to consult Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade on rice trade cooperation as Thailand and Vietnam, the world’s largest rice exporters, had earlier drafted a memorandum of understanding on cooperation. The two countries had put on hold their discussions on the issue.
Thailand initially wanted to jointly cooperate with Vietnam to boost their potential competitiveness and market management in a bid to stabilise rice prices in the global market and reduce price-cutting, she said.