Cambodian raids net 70 tons of fake cosmetics, ingredients

Cambodian authorities have confiscated nearly 70 tons of counterfeit cosmetics and raw materials for making them, a major haul that included imitations of South Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and US brands, an official said today.
The head of the government's Counter Counterfeit Committee, Mech Sophana, described the seizure as the biggest of its kind in Cambodia, with a possible value of millions of dollars. The cosmetics included skin-whitening cream and black hair-enhancing shampoo, both popular items for Asian customers.
He said that raids in March and April in Phnom Penh and adjoining Kandal province found where the counterfeit items were produced and resulted in the arrests of six people -- four Chinese, a Vietnamese-Cambodian dual national and a Cambodian -- for illegal production of cosmetics.

He said three were detained and the others were ordered not to leave the country pending further investigation.
Mech Sophana did not say what possible penalty the suspects faced, or whether they intended to export their wares. He said the raw materials for the goods were illegally imported.
Machinery for mixing and packaging the fake products was also seized, he said.
The crackdown was beneficial for consumers because the fake products could be hazardous to health, Mech Sophana said.