Man, 34, arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit respirators online
The man is believed to have obtained the suspected trademark-infringing respirators from foreign sources and was selling them online.
SINGAPORE — The authorities have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly selling suspected counterfeit respirators online, and have seized more than 41,000 pieces of the medical product.
The seized respirators have an estimated street value of more than S$201,000, said the police and Health Sciences Authority in a joint statement on Wednesday (April 21).
According to preliminary investigations, the man is believed to have obtained the suspected trademark-infringing respirators from foreign sources and was selling them online.
Tests are being conducted to determine whether the respirators are counterfeit, and investigations are ongoing.
The police said they take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringements and will not hesitate to take tough action against anyone who profits at the expense of legitimate businesses and consumers.
Under the Health Products Act, those guilty of importing or supplying counterfeit health products may be fined up to a maximum of S$100,000, jailed up to three years, or both.
Under the Trade Marks Act, distributing goods with falsely applied trademarks can lead to a maximum fine of $100,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both.
The police advised consumers to avoid buying health products from suspicious or unfamiliar sources as these could be counterfeit, unsafe, of poor quality, or produced under unhygienic conditions.
