Two Chinese Nationals Arrested in Japan, Suspected of Wholesaling 319 Counterfeit Sticker Books
Police in Japan's Aichi Prefecture on November 5 arrested two Chinese nationals — a 38-year-old woman and her 43-year-old husband — on suspicion of violating the Trademark Act by wholesaling counterfeit copies of a popular sticker product. Police have not disclosed whether the two admit the allegations; the case remains under investigation and neither has been convicted.
Police allege the couple wholesaled 319 counterfeit books of "Bonbon Drop" puffy stickers to a man for more than ¥41,000. The stickers, sold by Qualia, a stationery maker based in Osaka, are hugely popular among children in Japan and chronically out of stock, and counterfeits have flooded the market: Nagoya Customs says seizures of fake sticker products in the first half of this year were more than eight times the level of a year earlier.
The arrests grew out of a downstream case: in May, two men were arrested in Nagoya's Atsuta Ward for selling the same counterfeits, and police traced the supply route back to the couple. Among the seized items, police also found stickers featuring characters that were never actually sold, and they suspect the couple wholesaled other counterfeit goods as well. The investigation into sourcing and the full scale of sales is continuing.
(Source: Aichi Prefectural Police)
Source: Aichi Prefectural Police
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：大阪市政府大楼（资料图，涉案夫妇居住于大阪市）。照片 CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Osaka City Hall (file photo; the suspects live in Osaka). CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
