crime

Woman arrested after selling counterfeit Chanel item to police officer at flea market

22 Comments

Police in Wakayama City have arrested a 36-year-old unemployed woman on suspicion of violating the trademark law by selling counterfeit keychains by French luxury brand Chanel.

Emi Goto, who was arrested on Thursday, is accused of selling a keychain with a fake Chanel logo on Nov 29, 2020, Sankei Shimbun reported. Goto brought the fake merchandise to sell at a flea market in Wakayama Castle’s Sunanomaru Square. 

Although the keychain was priced at 400 yen, Goto’s use of the double “C” logo infringed upon Chanel's intellectual property rights. 

A police officer on patrol posed as a customer and purchased the item. Upon inspection, the keychain was found to be counterfeit.

A subsequent investigation found that Goto was in possession of several hundred fake keychains. Moreover, police said she has been making counterfeit goods to resemble about 10 different luxury brands, including Chanel.

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22 Comments
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She might be unemployed, but definatly has the drive and intelligence to service a market of less intelligent people. Good for her. Not sitting under a tarp actually trying to get an income. Once your rejected by society then the only person to help is yourself.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

Emi Goto, who was arrested on Thursday, is accused of selling a keychain with a fake Chanel logo on Nov 29, 2020, Sankei Shimbun reported. Goto brought the fake merchandise to sell at a flea market in Wakayama Castle’s Sunanomaru Square. 

Although the keychain was priced at 400 yen, Goto’s use of the double “C” logo infringed upon Chanel's intellectual property rights. 

A police officer on patrol posed as a customer and purchased the item. Upon inspection, the keychain was found to be counterfeit.

Undercover police working hard to bring down the big threats. Your tax yen at work.

20 ( +23 / -3 )

Yup, go fishing to get the smallest fish in that big pond.

21 ( +23 / -2 )

Was he an expert on counterfeit items?

Great counterfeit museum in Yokohama. Maybe he worked there.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Pathetic on multiple levels.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

Poor woman probably just making ends meet .... go focus on big fish ...disgusting

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Surely nobody can be naïve enough to believe that a Chanel keychain at only 400 Yen can possibly be genuine?

12 ( +14 / -2 )

The police officer did a good job! Hope this teaches her crime doesn't pay.

-12 ( +7 / -19 )

A simple penalization would have suffice.

She'll be detained for months to get confession, and stay in detention for years while the trial is ongoing.

Regrettable waste of resources.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Waste of time and waste of our tax money

use our tax money wisely

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Most people that buy counterfeit stuff know it’s counterfeit. They just hope that those they are trying to impress don’t know.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Undercover police working hard to bring down the big threats. Your tax yen at work.

I am no great fan of the Japanese police, but this is their job.

My work takes me to these flea markets regularly.

Undercover police regularly arrest people at them, more often for selling stolen items.

One time a few years back I noticed a vase for sell at 5,000 yen it made no sense my partner notified the police and an undercover police soon tried buying the vase and arrested the seller.

As I suspected it was an antique worth over 3 million yen and stolen.

Here is the big problem, it someone unknowingly buys these counterfeit products or stolen items, they themselves risk being the one caught with them and face charges especially if they cannot prove they were unaware the items are fakes or stolen.

At flea markets, the number one rule is buyer beware.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

I am amazed these flea markets are allowed in full COVID times when so many other activities are limited or cancelled but not half as amazed that people still go there while the virus is rampant.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

MonozukiToday  09:19 am JST

The police officer did a good job! Hope this teaches her crime doesn't pay.b! Hope this teaches her crime doesn't pay.

We get even more obvious cases of pirated goods taken up in police busts in the US. Ever seen boxes badly mislabled as 'NIKF' shoes?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

We need more police officers with the skill in determining fake brand goods from the real versions.

Much more important than arresting bosuzoku, harrasing people and disturbing the peace, or taking out maskless morons moving about and spreading COVID.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

If she can make and sell for ¥400, then Chanel should make and sell for ¥400

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@starpunk:

Ever seen boxes badly mislabled as 'NIKF' shoes?

No. I haven't. NIKF - NIKE Right?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

MonozukiToday  09:04 pm JST

@starpunk:

Ever seen boxes badly mislabled as 'NIKF' shoes?

No. I haven't. NIKF - NIKE Right?

That's right. You see these at these 'international goods' markets, bazaars and warehouses and they get sold by people who don't know the Roman alphabet. Of course NIKE shoes are made all over the world but you also have these lousy imitators being foisted on unsuspecting shoppers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I really don't understand why so many resources are wasted on such a small item.

Go after wholesalers and big places selling these items if you wish, but seriously? At a flea market? One item?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@starpunk: Thanks for the feedback.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nppori NickJan. 17 12:22 am JST

I really don't understand why so many resources are wasted on such a small item.

Go after wholesalers and big places selling these items if you wish, but seriously? At a flea market? One item?

Guess you don’t know one of the ways LE operates.  I don’t know how Japan LE works, but in other countries these small fish can lead to the big ones. Either they rat on their supplier for a leaner sentence, or none at all, or the information can be found on their cell phone, etc.. Either way, it is a sort of contact tracing up the chain to catch the big fish. Let me tell you, the big fish are not personally selling these items at a flea market, they either own the flea market or have control over the distribution of counterfeit products. The big fish may not even live in the same country. That’s where Interpol joins the scene.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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