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Fake Maxim’s mooncakes among HK$1 million in counterfeit goods seized in Hong Kong

AnyFans 2025-09-20

By Danny Mok

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two people over smuggled counterfeit goods worth HK$1 million (US$128,570), including more than 170 boxes of fake Maxim’s mooncakes.
The Customs and Excise Department said on Tuesday that other than the mooncakes, it had seized 3,700 items of suspected counterfeit goods including apparel, accessories, proprietary Chinese medicines, perfumes, cosmetics and skincare products in an operation that began on August 27.
Officers examined a 40-foot cargo container arriving from mainland China declared to be carrying vehicle parts at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound.
They found about 96 boxes of suspected counterfeit mooncakes and 1,000 other goods that appeared to be fakes.
The department suspected the mooncakes might have been destined for overseas.
Customs officers also carried out spot checks in various districts and discovered counterfeit mooncakes for sale.
With assistance from the trademark owners, officers raided two retail shops and confiscated about 74 boxes of suspected fake mooncakes, along with roughly 2,700 other counterfeit items.
The seized goods, with an estimated market value of HK$1 million, were taken away.
Two individuals were arrested on suspicion of violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, and further arrests were not ruled out.
According to the department, some of the seized mooncakes closely resembled the catering group Maxim’s Lava Custard Mooncakes.
But several errors were found on the goods, including misspellings on notes inside the boxes. There were also misprints on the ingredient list and the anti-counterfeit codes were not working.
Maxim’s Lava Custard Mooncakes were also targeted by counterfeiters in both 2023 and last year.

Customs reminded consumers to purchase goods only from reputable shops and to consult trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product was in doubt.
Traders were also urged to be cautious as selling counterfeit goods was a serious crime.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a HK$500,000 fine and five years’ jail.