Chanel Perfume Said to Be Cheap... It Was a 'Genuine Parallel Import' Fake

A group caught selling counterfeit luxury brand perfumes and bags as 'parallel imported genuine products' has been arrested by the police.

On the 30th, the Cyber Investigation Unit of Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency arrested two suspects, including Mr. A, on charges of selling counterfeit luxury goods imported from China as genuine products (violation of the Trademark Act, etc.), and four accomplices were booked without detention, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day.

This photo is not directly related to the article content. [Image source=Pixabay]

Mr. A and others are accused of importing 17 types of counterfeit perfumes and bags, including Chanel, Gucci, and Dior, from China in June 2021, and selling them on domestic online shopping malls by falsely claiming them as 'overseas genuine parallel imported products,' earning approximately 230 million KRW.

The police seized about 270 counterfeit perfumes and about 70 counterfeit wallets and bags from them.

Methanol, a substance harmful to the human body, was detected in the seized perfumes, and additional analysis was requested from the National Forensic Service.

The police plan to continue crackdowns, believing there may be more cases of counterfeit goods traded through online shopping malls.

A police official said, "As non-face-to-face transactions become more active, cases of damage through online shopping malls continue, so before purchasing, consumers should check the identity of the shopping mall operator on the Fair Trade Commission website or review the Consumer Agency's damage prevention advisory."

Fake product-selling online shopping mall
[Photo by Daegu Police Agency]

Meanwhile, the Italian national newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore highlighted Korea's 'love for luxury goods' in an article titled 'Luxury goods head to Korea' published on the 29th of last month (local time).

Based on a recently released luxury consumption analysis report by global investment bank Morgan Stanley, the media introduced how Korea shone like a 'star' in the global luxury market last year.

According to the Morgan Stanley report, Korea's per capita luxury consumption last year was $325 (approximately 404,000 KRW), ranking first in the world, surpassing the United States' $280 (approximately 348,000 KRW) and China's $55 (approximately 68,000 KRW).