GEORGETOWN: A man who managed to earn RM1,000 daily selling counterfeit branded clothes on social media was arrested in a raid today.
The raid conducted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry at Air Itam was conducted at 3pm here today.
The ministry's Penang chief enforcement officer A. Mogan said that a 27-year-old individual had utilised the People's Housing Project flat as a storage space for clothing stock, with a monthly rent of RM500.
The inspection also revealed counterfeit clothing bearing registered trademarks of various well-known brands which filled the entire flat, he said.
"The quantity is too large and the counting is yet to be completed. However, we have seized 5,050 pieces of clothing bearing the trademarks of the respective brands for further investigation, estimated to be worth RM40,400," he said when met by reporters.
He added that the raid was conducted after the ministry received a complaint from the representative of the trademark brand where the modus operandi of the individual was to conduct sales through live broadcasts on social media platforms.
He also said that based on preliminary investigations, the man had claimed to have stored the clothing stock obtained from suppliers in Kuala Lumpur since 2020. He, however, only began selling through TikTok mid-last year.
"The man is now detained to assist in further investigations, and the case is being investigated under the Trade Marks Act 2019.
"With this, the ministry also welcomes information and complaints from the public regarding counterfeit goods sales activities," he said.