Phony Louis Vuitton ring broken up by police
Genuine Louis Vuitton products bought for disassembling, researching and modeling have been seized by police.
More than 30 people from Guangdong Province were sued by the Qingpu District’s procuratorate for making fake Louis Vuitton bags worth 100 million yuan (US$15 million).
Police began to investigate in 2019 after discovering people had been selling fake luxury bags and fittings on WeChat since 2018.
To trick consumers into thinking the bags were authentic, the suspects inserted microchips into the counterfeits. When buyers scanned the products with their phones, information related to the bags on Louis Vuitton's official website appeared.
Chips sell for a fraction of a yuan, and one person can insert 150 of them into bags in an hour, a suspect told the procuratorate.
But Louis Vuitton officials said their bags don't have such technology.
The suspects bought authentic bags from a special sales counter in Guangdong Province for disassembling, researching and modeling.
They also colluded with a staff member at the counter to get restricted data about the bags that were not commercially available. Sometimes the fake bags hit the market before the real ones.
More than 30 genuine products, 310 fake bags and thousands of fake peripheral products — including business cards, letters of thanks and dust bags — have been seized.
The suspects are in custody and the investigation is ongoing.
