The "Seafood Package" has hidden secrets! 24 people caught, small restaurant covers fake watches, underground factory warehouse | Guangzhou | Package
The unnamed watch repair stall only opens at night, and in restaurants with poor business, "grilled wax set meals" and "seafood set meals" are the corresponding codes for different watch styles. Recently, the Shanghai Baoshan police successfully cracked a major case of counterfeit registered trademarks. They destroyed a criminal gang that manufactures and sells counterfeit watches under the guise of a restaurant in the whole chain, integrating production, transportation and marketing, and successfully captured 24 suspect.
An anonymous watch repair stall that only opens at night
In April this year, the economic investigation department of Baoshan Public Security received feedback from the public that some people were selling counterfeit branded watches on their social media, with prices ranging from 2000 to 5000 yuan per watch. Starting from relevant advertising information, the police discovered a sales team of "Wanbiaohui" watch studio led by Wang.
In the WeChat Moments of the customer service of this "Wanbiaohui" watch studio, counterfeit watches are labeled as "boutique replicas", with prices ranging from 2000 to 5000 yuan per watch. There are over 40 well-known watch brands available, and customers can also enjoy services such as "lightning shipping" and "cash on delivery".
Further investigation by the police found that the studio does not have the production and sales qualifications for the relevant brands, nor does it have a factory or warehouse. The shipping locations are all in Guangzhou, and it should be the "end agent" of a certain counterfeiting gang.
Where do these counterfeit watches come from? The task force further targeted "second level agents" Li and Xie, as well as "first level agents" Chen and his wife.
According to the investigation, on one hand, Li and Xie have been selling fake watches at low prices to travelers at train stations and long-distance passenger stations in Foshan, Guangdong for a long time. On the other hand, they have maintained close contact with the "Wanbiaohui" watch studio to obtain "online orders". Their previous home was the watch repair shop of Mr. and Mrs. Chen.
The police traced and found that Chen and his wife have a repair shop in a watch market in Guangzhou, Guangdong. Strangely, this store only opens late at night without any signs, which is very unusual. "We found through investigation that clock maintenance is just a cover, and Chen and his wife's real business is selling fake watches," said the investigator.
Different packages correspond to different watch prices
Through further investigation, investigators found that Chen and his wife's goods were sourced from two restaurants in Jieyang, Guangdong: a "barbecue stall" and a "seafood restaurant". How are these two inconspicuous restaurants linked to a watch making and selling gang?
Nearby residents have reported that these two restaurants have been open for a long time and the rent in their location is not cheap. However, the business in the store is quiet, the dishes are limited, and the staff are very cautious of customers entering the store. Following the restaurant route, after several days of undercover investigation, an underground counterfeit production center led by the Zheng brothers entered the view of investigators.
According to the case handling authority, the suspect, Mr. Zheng, used two restaurants as a cover, while the "set meal" in the "hidden menu" corresponds to the deposit for fake watches at different prices. For example, "Barbecue Family Photo" costs 600 yuan, "Seafood Package A" costs 1000 yuan, corresponding to different series of table styles. Distributors only need to scan the "payment code" and "order" in the store online to place orders with the watchmaking factory.
The real watchmaking factories are hidden in residential buildings near two restaurants. The watch models sold by this gang are complete from accessories to product certificates, but without exception, they are all counterfeit goods. Once consumers encounter problems such as "inaccurate timing" and "insufficient power storage" after purchasing, they are unable to obtain after-sales protection, and even find it difficult to replace the corresponding parts of the watch at regular repair shops. As of the incident, the gang has illegally profited over 40 million yuan.
At present, 13 suspect including Mr. Zheng have been detained by Baoshan police in accordance with the law for suspected counterfeiting of registered trademarks, and the remaining 11 have been taken criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law for suspected selling counterfeit registered trademarks. In addition, the police are further investigating the supply channels and other distribution personnel of counterfeit accessories in this case.
