SINGAPORE – A 34-year-old man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the online sales of suspected counterfeit respirators after more than 41,000 units of the device in question were seized during an operation.
He is believed to have procured them from foreign sources, the police and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a joint statement on Wednesday (April 21).
The suspected trademark-infringing respirators with an estimated street value of over $201,000 were seized during an operation led by the Criminal Investigation Department and supported by HSA officers.
“Tests are being conducted on the seized respirators to ascertain if they are counterfeit,” the joint statement said.
Under the Health Products Act, anyone found guilty of importing or supplying counterfeit health products can be fined up to $100,000, and imprisoned for a maximum of three years.
Investigations against the man are ongoing.
The police said they take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringements and will not hesitate to take tough action against perpetrators who profit at the expense of legitimate businesses and consumers.
Under the Trade Marks Act, those convicted of selling or distributing goods with falsely applied trademarks may be fined a maximum of $100,000, and jailed for up to five years.
“Consumers are advised to avoid buying health products such as respirators from dubious or unfamiliar sources,” the joint statement added.
These sources, which include unknown online sites, could sell items that are counterfeit, unsafe, of poor quality, or manufactured under unhygienic conditions.