Hong Kong Customs seizes 6,800 relabelled hard drives in Tuen Mun

Hong Kong Customs searched five industrial-building units in Tuen Mun on Thursday 15 October and seized about 6,800 suspected counterfeit hard drives, with an estimated market value of about HK$50 million. Six people were arrested: five men and one woman aged 31 to 59, five of them from the Mainland and one a local resident. Customs said the operation followed an in-depth investigation carried out with the help of the trademark owner. [1], [2], [3]

According to Customs, the group bought used hard drives in large quantities, removed the original labels with adhesive remover, reformatted the drives with specialised equipment and applied major-brand labels, then sealed them in anti-static bags for sale. Officers also found about 20,000 second-hand drives awaiting processing. Customs has not named the brands. [1], [2], [3]

Customs said the investigation is continuing and further arrests are not ruled out. Forging a trademark, or selling goods bearing one, carries a maximum penalty on conviction of a HK$500,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. The Epoch Times reports that some of those arrested were to be charged with possessing counterfeit goods for sale or commercial use and with breaching their conditions of stay, and to appear at Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts on 17 October. No one has been convicted. [1], [4]

This is a different kind of fake from a handbag or a watch. A relabelled drive still works, at least at first, so a buyer may not find out until it fails and takes the data with it. Cases like this also rely on someone being able to show that a drive sold as new is in fact used, which is why the trademark owner’s help matters.

Sources

1. Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (GovHK press release). Hong Kong Customs special operation combats processing workshops and storages of suspected counterfeit hard disks (with photo). Published 2026-10-16 23:19 Hong Kong time. English. Byline: Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. Accessed 19 October 2026.
2. RTHK. 海關打擊懷疑冒牌硬碟加工工場及儲存倉庫 拘捕5男1女. Published 2026-10-17 01:32 Hong Kong time. Traditional Chinese. Byline: RTHK. Accessed 18 October 2026. Working English title translation: Customs targets suspected counterfeit hard-drive processing workshops and storage warehouses, arrests five men and one woman (working translation).
3. am730 (via Yahoo News Hong Kong). 海關打擊懷疑冒牌硬碟加工工場及儲存倉庫 拘5男1女. Published 2026-10-16 21:39 Hong Kong time. Traditional Chinese. Byline: am730. Accessed 18 October 2026. Working English title translation: Customs targets suspected counterfeit hard-drive processing workshops and storage warehouses, arrests five men and one woman (working translation).
4. The Epoch Times (Hong Kong). 涉加工冒牌硬碟 海關拘6人. Published 2026-10-16 18:53 Hong Kong time. Traditional Chinese. Byline: 葉澤宇 (Ye Zeyu). Accessed 18 October 2026. Working English title translation: Customs arrests six over processing of counterfeit hard drives (working translation).