4 men arrested for possessing 288 counterfeit mobile phones worth $288k for trade

Four men, aged between 30 and 41, were arrested on Oct 13 for their suspected involvement in the possession of counterfeit mobile phones for trading purposes.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Customs said in a joint statement on Oct 17 that the men were nabbed after a 14-hour operation.

Singapore Customs had received a tip-off regarding the importation of counterfeit mobiles on Oct 12.

That night, Singapore Customs officers intercepted six consignments from Hong Kong consisting of 180 mobile phones at the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore and referred the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The next day, CID officers raided a warehouse and office in Ubi, as well as residential units in Pasir Ris, ToaPayoh, Hougang and Bright Hill in an islandwide operation.

The four men were arrested during the operation and a total of 288 counterfeit mobile phones worth S$288,000 were seized.

Preliminary investigations showed that the men are believed to be involved in a syndicate which distributes counterfeit mobile phones.

Investigations are ongoing.    

"The authorities take a serious view of intellectual property right (IPR) infringements and will not hesitate to take action against perpetrators who show blatant disregard for our IPR laws," said the two agencies.

Anyone found guilty of selling or distributing goods with falsely applied trademark, can be fined up to $100,000 or jailed up to five years, or both.